


For Brothers Share This Bond

by Mirenelle



Category: Naruto
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Physical Abuse, Waterboarding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:21:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28446828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirenelle/pseuds/Mirenelle
Summary: REWRITE. Notes inside.  During their battle Itachi is struck by a jutsu that reverts him back to a twelve year old. A twelve year old who believes the clan is still alive. Sasuke has no choice but to bring Itachi with him until he returns to normal but Itachi holds secrets that Sasuke will want to know. Secrets that he planned to take to the grave.
Relationships: Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi/Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 34
Kudos: 59





	1. If The Sky Comes Falling Down

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like a major issue I ended up have when looking back on this is that I attempted to force in romance where it wasn't necessary for ships that I didn't even like. My only excuse is that I was hoping to gain comments and kudos because the ships I used were so popular. A comment I recently received really pushed me into publishing the first chapter. More will follow. The former fanfiction will likely stay up for a time.
> 
> So, I am giving for-warning now. There will be no SasuNaru. There will be no KisaIta. Any KakaIta will be between an adult Itachi.

Since Sasuke had been eight years old, he had dreamed of this moment. He had spent countless hours fantasizing over how it would happen. The grandiose speeches, the sense of accomplishment and the finale. All things must come to an end, and it was time that Itachi Uchiha had his swan song. It was all to end. Sasuke would finally avenge the Uchiha name. He had waited for this moment for years; Had thought of little else. Itachi's blood would coat the floors of the Uchiha hideout. His reckoning was finally here. Sasuke would have his revenge. He would see Itachi dead at his feet. His clan would finally rest easy, after all these years. His mother. His father. All of them.

The shrine had long since toppled around the two brothers, smoldering around their feet. It seemed fitting, really. Itachi should die here. Sasuke could only hope that the clan was watching. That they understood that their deaths would not go unpunished. Itachi was as bruised and battered as he was. This time they were more evenly matched. Sasuke had been prepared, refusing to have a repeat of that hotel back in Konoha. He was better than that. Smarter. Stronger.A taunt was at the tips of his lips, ready to spew venom at the demon across from him. He held back. Taunts were what Itachi used; Words to hurt and shatter and dig into weak spots. Sasuke did not need them. He was above that now. He had studied and trained extensively, to the point of breaking. Yet here he stood; Unbroken and stronger than ever. He had learned techniques from Orochimaru. Abilities that should never see the light of day. Yet for Itachi, Sasuke would make an exception. There were no rules on conduct here. Itachi had made that painfully clear from day one. Itachi was studying him with those damn eyes. He had already announced his intentions. Revealed _why_ he had spared Sasuke. Sasuke was merely spare parts. His eyes were the only thing of any worth. There was pain in that knowledge. The little boy who had only wanted his brother back had been stung by this admission. That was the worst part. That even after _everything_ , Itachi could still make him feel that worthless.

With a roar that seemed to rip from his vocal cords, Sasuke sprinted forward, eyes alight. He leaped off a fallen slap of rock, leaping into the air and lunging down towards his brother. As he moved he released the seal. It was a jutsu Orochimaru had been working on for moths to little avail. Something he hadn't bothered to show to Sasuke but had offhandedly commented that it would be a weapon like no other. Exactly the sort of weapon Sasuke required. His hand was encased in black, a swirling orb forming in his palm and pulsing violently. He only had one shot at this. _One_ chance to use Orochimaru's jutsu and destroy his enemy. A loud buzzing filled the wasteland and Sasuke's heart beat violently in his chest.

_This was it, this was it, this was it…._

For a moment, Sasuke thought he saw Itachi pull back. Going still as Sasuke approached and not lifting a hand to defend himself. Sasuke didn't have time to ponder on this before the justsu struck Itachi square in the chest. The blackness enveloped his brother, expanding and contracting. Sasuke couldn't see or hear his brother. A sphere of light suddenly appeared in the center of the black mass, shrieking loudly. The light was blinding, burning at the corner of Sasuke's eyes, but he didn't dare blink. He couldn't look away. He barely breathed, arm trembling with effort. He watched the light warbled as if under water as light reflected off it. It remained for a moment, the noise suddenly going silent, leaving an eerie heavy silence behind. It lasted only a moment before it retracted and burst out, exploding into a stream of light. Sasuke was thrown back several feet, hitting the ground with a grunt of pain. He rolled onto his side, dirt and debris falling around him. The world was shaking. Blood oozed out of his shoulder, yet he did not feel it. He attempted to push himself up, arms shaking violently. He lifted his head painfully, temples throbbing as he attempted to search for Itachi. His shoulder throbbed in agony and he shakily struggled to his feet. He stumbled forward, falling to his knees and swaying.

_'No, no. Not yet. Not until he sees Itachi dead.'_

He managed to push himself back onto his feet, his balance unsteady as he lifted his head up. He struggled forward, steps measured and careful. Debris littered the battleground. Amaterasu licked at his heels threateningly and he pulled away. His eyes narrowed and he gripped at his wounded shoulder as he walked. The light was long gone, leaving only a smoking canyon behind. For a split second, Sasuke wondered if his brother had simply vaporized. That the jutsu had turned his brother into nothing more than ash. Then he heard a weak noise. No, Itachi was still here. He was still alive. The dust was clearing just as Sasuke managed to reach where the source of the noise was. He could see his brother lying in the dirt, feebly moving. Sasuke had to move fast. He would only have a moment like this once. No longer feeling the pain in his shoulder, Sasuke strode down the crater, stepping over twisted metal as he activated his Sharingan, staring unblinking at his brother. He reached down, grasping Itachi's collar and yanking him up from the rubble. He should have realized something was off when Itachi turned out to be much lighter than expected, almost comically so. He should have noticed that when he turned Itachi to face him, that his face appeared _softer_. Cheeks rounder and less pronounced. His lashes brushed over dirt streaked cheeks. Eyelashes that Sasuke remembered his brother had been complimented on so much.

_Something was not right._

Sasuke however was too consumed with bloodlust to take notice to these things. He dug a spare kunai out from where it was strapped to his side, flipping it around so that he could place the blade across Itachi's throat. He stared at that bloody face and bared his teeth. How easy it was to fall into hatred for this monster. Itachi took and took and _took_. Finally, Sasuke was taking something back. Yet it wasn't enough. He wanted him awake. He wanted him to _know_ Sasuke had won. After all those years pf chasing and striving, he had finally caught up. Finally surpassed him. The bastard deserved to hurt.He wanted to stare into those eyes as he died. He wanted his to choke on his blood, helpless and scared. He wanted to watch the light leave Itachi's eyes. He _needed_ it.

However fate was not on his side when his knees buckled and he crashed to the ground, taking Itachi with him. The world around him spun. "No, no no..." Sasuke repeated, unable to accept this. He lost his hold on Itachi, vision fading at the corners. Everything felt heavy, he was falling under. He sank down to the ground, attempting to keep his head up. He could see Itachi. So close. He was so _close_. His hands wouldn't move. He couldn't reach him. His head hit the ground and Sasuke faded away.

* * *

It was the utter silence that awoke him. A silence that seemed to creep in from the shadows and take the very breath from his parched lungs. It was seeping into him, taking his breath away like an invisible hand tightening on his throat. His eyes shot open. His chest ached and his head spun. He was in a dimly lit room.Far too drafty for comfort. He slowly sat up, grasping the side of his head where he felt fresh bandages. Someone had found him? He did not recognize where he was. Had Uzumaki managed to track him down? Or had Hebi managed to reach him.His fingers moved to a bandage on his arm when he was startled by a voice.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice came from the shadows. Sasuke swiftly turned, eyes searching. A man in an orange mask stepped from the darkness and approached his bedside.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked warily, voice ragged. He didn't recognize this man. The man tilted his head, observing him for a long moment before lifting his shoulders into a shrug.

"That's not important right now." The man responded, walking around the bed before making himself comfortable at the end of it, ankles crossed. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He leaned against the bed frame, fingers grasping at the rough blanket, putting distance between himself and the masked stranger. 

"Why am I here?" He asked carefully. "Where am I?" The candles on the wall flickered, casting shadows over the masked man.

"Figured it was a better place to be then on that smoldering rock pile." The man replied, tilting his head.

Sasuke blinked at him, unimpressed by his answers. "Where's Itachi?" He finally bit out, voice cold. If the man wasn't going to be of any use, he might as well point him in the direction of Sasuke's target. He had still been moving last Sasuke saw him. The other man leaned back with a long sigh.

"In another room. Probably still asleep." The man shrugged, head tipped to the side. Like a damn dog or something, but his visible eye...his Sharingan was staring right at Sasuke. Part of Sasuke wanted to demand his identity, who was he and why did he have that eye? Yet, when the man confirmed itachi was still breathing, all other thought faded away. Sasuke snarled at him, lunging to his feet and regretting it as sharp pain shot up his left leg.

"He's still alive!?" He barked, taking a heavy step forward and nearly collapsing onto the stone floor. "Take me to him. _Now_." The man in the mask stood with no real hurry, arms behind his back and balancing himself on the balls of his feet.

"Other than his chakra being depleted, he's very much alive." The man seemed to be in on some private joke. "I think you should probably sit down though." Sasuke managed to regain his balance and took a step towards the door, planning on finishing Itachi off right then and there. He heard the man sighed in annoyance, getting off the bed and striding forward to block the door. "Sit down. There are things you need to know." He didn't put up much of a fight, sounding rather bored with the whole thing. Sasuke ignored him, gripping his side and moving towards the door, shoving the man out of his way. The man followed close behind, humming under his breath. Sasuke stalked down the hall, glancing in doorways. The hall was long and winding, reminding him of some of Orochimaru's old lairs. His eyes were activated, attempting to track down Itachi that way. It led him down an east corridor and he rushed on. He came to a door far down the corridor and threw it open, bouncing the door off the wall with a loud bang. The bed was empty, but the room was not. In the corner, on the opposite side of the bed, standing tensely against the wall, a boy stared at Sasuke.

Sasuke knew this boy.

He knew those eyes and that hair. But it was...different. This was Itachi, but this was Itachi as he used to be. This was Itachi as a child. The Itachi from his nightmares who had cut down person after person. Sasuke stilled, eyes wide as the masked man casually walked by him. The boy-Itachi watched at the two nin warily. He has been dressed in some loose clothing, the shirt hanging down a shoulder and long pants that fell over his toes.

"Where am I?" He asked, voice soft and reminiscent of childhood. He eyed the man apprehensively before glancing up at Sasuke, brows furrowed. Sasuke turned to the man who seemed much too calm about the situation. He had taken a seat on the bed, watching the pair and offering no response. Sasuke turned back to the child Itachi who was staring at him with narrowed eyes. For a moment Sasuke was struck silent, unable to form a single sentence. The silence was grating. The boy Itachi was obviously suspicious and the masked man was obviously enjoying himself. Sasuke swiftly turned back to the man.

"What did you do!?" The teen accused. The man lifted his hands up defensively, sitting back on the bed and making himself comfortable. 

" _I_ did nothing." The man shrugged. "I found him like that when I came to collect you."

Sasuke stared at him in disbelief and when he glanced back to Itachi the boy was slowly approaching him, hands aloft in a non threatening manner. As if attempting to fix the tension in someway.

"Where am I?" He asked, keeping a wide berth between himself and the other two occupants of the room. Sasuke bared his teeth. The very sound of Itachi's voice had him shaking in rage. Itachi seemed to sense the threat, dark eyes darting to where the masked man sat, taking a careful step forward. He seemed to find something distrustful in that mask with the way he inched away from him.

"Stay back!" Sasuke snarled and Itachi stilled. The man in the mask chuckled, causing both boys to glance at him. The man stood, stretching out his back with a pleased sigh.

"What a sweet family reunion. I feel like I could _cry_." He mused, mock dabbing at his masked eye. Itachi turned and studied Sasuke for a moment longer before Sasuke's attention focused once again on the stranger.

"Why is he like this?" Sasuke asked, motioning to Itachi with a violent gesture.

The masked man shrugged, looking back to Itachi who had not moved since Sasuke's barked order. "I couldn't tell you. Like i said, I found him like that." He glanced between the two before sighing, tipping his head back as if greatly stressed. "This was not how I expected things to happen but I guess it's on me for having expected it to go smoothly." He tapped his finger against his chin as if to appear deep in thought. Itachi had not moved a muscle. "Looks like you are both in a pickle, I suppose." He mused and laughed suddenly, the noise bouncing off the walls.

"Who are you?" Sasuke prompted.

"Me? I am Tobi." The man looked over to him and Sasuke narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

" _Tobi_." The bullshit name was no appreciated. 

"Yes."

" _That's_ your name?" Sasuke prompted, not buying it. 

"That's the only name you need to know." Sasuke glared at Tobi in distaste, wanting more information that he knew the man was hiding. With the two adults distracted, Itachi edged to the door. Tobi said something else and Sasuke muttered in response eyes focused on him. Seeing his chance, Itachi darted out of the room just as Sasuke turned, eyes alight with rage. Itachi did not risk looking back, running as fast as he could searching for an escape. He could hear the other boy behind him, chasing him. This spurred Itachi to run faster. He tore down the hall, bewildered and desperate for an escape.He groped for a door handle, finding it locked. Something in the back of his head told him to keep moving, that the boy behind him was dangerous right now. He listened to that little voice, not risking any hesitation. He turned a corner sharply, feet seeming to skip over the ground. He heard the boy behind him skid, unable to take the corner as sharply as Itachi had. The other boy was larger. Itachi planned to use this to his advantage. He could see a door at the end of the hall. He sped up, hearing the other boy snarl just behind him.

" _ **STOP**_!" Itachi ignored him, his feet carrying him closer to the door. Safety was on the other side. It had to be. Suddenly the other boy was upon him, tackling him and driving him into the hard floor. Itachi's head roughly smacked off the ground, stars dancing in his vision. They skid across the ground, before hitting the wall and coming to a stop. The older boy rolled over, quickly and violently yanked Itachi up by his arm, slamming him into the wall, Itachi's feet coming clean off the floor for a moment. A fist slammed into the side of his head briefly causing his vision to blur. He nearly sank down, but the grip on him was unyielding. The teen wrapped a hand roughly around his throat, squeezing and lifting Itachi until his feet were no longer touching the ground.

"You think disguising as a kid is going to spare you!?" Sasuke snarled. Itachi grasped at the hand on his throat, struggling against the iron grip. Sasuke pulled Itachi forward before slamming him back against the wall, watching in satisfaction as his head smacked off the hard surface. "You fucking _coward!_ " His Sharingan activated suddenly, startling Itachi who opened his mouth to speak. Sasuke only squeezed harder. Itachi weakly pushed at the hand, a choked noise escaping his throat. Tobi was suddenly upon the pair, ripping Sasuke away from the boy and shoving him aside, standing between them.

"Stop," He snapped, pushing Sasuke away as he lunged again. Itachi knelt on the ground coughing and rubbing his throat. Tobi turned away from Sasuke and knelt in front of Itachi, who glanced up at him uncertainly. "What's the last thing you remember?" Tobi asked and Itachi stared in open confusion.

"What?" His voice was rough.

"Where were you last night?" He asked and Itachi seemed bewildered by the question. Tobi made a disgruntled noise, studying the child. "Okay fine...how old are you?" He touched a strand of dark hair and Itachi flinched back. Sasuke watched they pair, fists clenched. 

"Twelve." Itachi answered. Sasuke felt his breath catch in his throat at this, studying his brother for signs of a trick, but Itachi was not even looking at him, watching Tobi with open suspicion and confusion, massaging his throat. 

"You are part of Hound's unit." Tobi prodded and Itachi slowly nodded, tight lipped about this Hound. This seemed to answer whatever was on Tobi's mind because he sighed, leaning back away from the boy with a shake of his head. He looked up to Sasuke.

"Well, this is an unexpected development. I'm certain Danzō-," Tobi could not even finish his sentence before Itachi was back on his feet, back ramrod straight and eyes searching. Sasuke swiftly moved, blocking any escape. Itachi backed away from Sasuke as Tobi slowly stood. "He's not here Itachi." He placated the boy who turned back to Tobi.

"Does he-"

"We don't work for him." Tobi replied, cutting the boy off. Itachi relaxed slightly, glancing from Sasuke to Tobi.

"You both have the sharingan." He noted, voice still raw. Tobi nodded and motioned to Sasuke.

"Indeed. In fact I do believe you know this young man already." Sasuke shot a withering glare at Tobi while Itachi looked towards Sasuke, searching his face. He seemed utterly lost for a moment, finding nothing about the angry boy familiar. After a moment a glimmer of recognition and disbelief filled his eyes.

"Sasuke?...is that you?" Itachi questioned and Sasuke approached Itachi, eyes cold. Itachi looked up at his brother, stunned. Sasuke regarded him with a closed off expression, his dark eyes narrowed. Quickly he reached out and grasped Itachi's thin wrist in his hand. Itachi, still shocked did nothing to defend himself as the older boy roughly shoved him into the wall. He continued to stare at Sasuke, eyes taking in his little-well now big brother's appearance.

"Otouto-," Before he could say more, Sasuke roughly backhanded him, snarling at Itachi's words. Tobi tsked, hands on his hips.

"Sasuke play nice with your brother." He chided mockingly, waggling a finger. Sasuke glared at the other Sharingan wielder. Itachi's eyes widened at the confirmation, forgetting about his bruising cheek. He reached out for Sasuke with his free hand. Realizing that Itachi's hand was coming for him, Sasuke grabbed and wrist and twisted harshly. The snapping noise of Itachi's wrist breaking seemed to echo through the hallway. Itachi gasped in pain, and hunched forward, as Sasuke rougly gripped his arm, the irony of the changed positions not lost on him. Tobi shook his head staring at Itachi for a moment. "He doesn't remember anything, brat." He stated as if disappointed. "There's no need for all that." Sasuke snarled shoving himself away from Itachi who lifted his head and studied at him with an unreadable expression, holding his broken wrist against his chest.

Sasuke paced the hall angrily, while Tobi and Itachi tracked his movements. _What should it matter?_ A little voice in Sasuke's head snarled. He's still that same murderer! He turned on his heel roughly approaching Itachi again. Itachi did not struggle as the Uchiha grasped him under the chin and lifted his face to meet his eyes, his fingers moving to dig painfully into Itachi's cheeks, squishing his face.

"Where is our family?" Sasuke asked tightly and Itachi's dark eyes stared back at his sibling as he answered.

"I assume back at home." He managed to speak despite the grip on him. "What's happened?" Sasuke glanced briefly at Tobi who shrugged. 

"Shisui?" Sasuke volleyed. 

"He's on a mission near Suna." Itachi replied, rubbing his broken wrist absently. Sasuke stepped back, studying him closely. So everyone was still alive...well as far as Itachi knew. He could not kill him. Yet, but already Sasuke was planning. He stepped away from Itachi and turned to Tobi, but keeping Itachi firmly against the wall.

"I need to get back to Konoha." Tobi nodded in agreement. 

"I figured you would say that. Your little blonde friend is headed this way as we speak. Let him find you both and bring you to Konoha and there I will meet you." Sasuke rolled his eyes at the mention of Naruto before glancing down at Itachi who was studying his sibling as if trying to uncover some puzzle.

"Meet me?" Sasuke questioned, not looking away from Itachi.

"There are things you need to know. But I do not have enough time." Tobi's voice was casual but held a finality that Sasuke did not bother to fight. Instead he grunted and grabbed onto Itachi's uninjured wrist, yanking him forward. 

"You're coming with me." He stated coldly and Itachi's gaze shifted to where the masked man had been standing but he was gone. Slowly, Itachi nodded and allowed his now larger sibling to lead him down the hall. They reached a flight of stairs and Itachi followed Sasuke up them, watching his step and lost in thought. Sasuke was seven. Well…he was seven last night. Had something happened to him? And if so, what was it? Ahead he could hear voices and they were getting closer. He managed to shoot his brother a glance and Sasuke returned it. His eyes glowed with the Sharingan and Itachi felt a cold thread of actual fear travel up his spine.

Something was wrong.

Itachi did not know what it was, but he could feel it in the air. Why was Sasuke older and so cold? Where was he? What would mother and father say when they saw him? All these thoughts raced through Itachi's mind as he was dragged towards the voices. Sasuke's grip on his arm was crushing and seemed to tingle with electricity. Each step felt heavier than the last. His breathing became slightly erratic as he stumbled forward. The voices could now be understood. Once standing out as it cried out happily.

" _ **Sasuke**_!"

"Naruto." Sasuke replied back levelly but with a hint of resignation. Itachi caught sight of a blond teen sprinting forward grinning at his sibling, but then his eyes landed on Itachi and he stopped mid stride, eyes widening. A pink haired teenager appeared at Naruto's side, her face also taking on befuddlement at the sight of Itachi who wondered what was going on. Another man approached, walking with an easy air and when his eyes landed on Itachi, the boy felt as if the world tilted. Finally, a familiar face. 

"Kakashi-Taichou?" He questioned, voice soft as Kakashi's shocked eyes landed on Itachi, stunned into silence. At Itachi's voice, Sasuke snarled, tightening his hold on Itachi's wrist, wrenching his forward. 

"Shut the _fuck_ up!" He hissed. Kakashi stood tense, looking from Sasuke to Itachi, not certain on how to approach the situation. 

"Sasuke..." The blonde began, voice uncertain, his brows furrowed as he stared at the other boy. Sasuke turned to the blonde, expression almost desperate in a way that didn't seem right on his face.

"Naruto...somehow...." He trailed off for a moment, appearing to struggle to find his words. "The jutsu hit Itachi and this happened. He has no memories of...well anything really." The blonde boy named Naruto seemed to understand what Sasuke was saying. His expression was resolute and almost...kind. Naruto...Itachi remembered him. The victim of the Nine Tail's attack...if he hadn't been certain about all that hand changed before, seeing that little blonde boy now practically a man seemed to assure Itachi that something had certainly happened. The girl behind Naruto shifted, eyeing Itachi warily. Kakashi openly stared at Itachi who peered back, taking in the changes in his captain's appearance. 

"What are you planning Sasuke?" Naruto asked nervously, eyes darting to Itachi. No doubt anticipating the worst.

"I want to take him to Konoha...to _show_ him." Sasuke replied while Itachi's brows furrowed.

"Show me what?" He questioned and Naruto shot the boy an apprehensive glance as Sasuke snarled at him to shut up. The girl peered back to Kakashi who let out a low sigh, brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of it all. He massaged his temples for a long moment, all eyes fixed on him. Itachi didn't dare speak again. Finally, he nodded, meeting Sasuke's cold glare. 

"Are you saying that you plan on returning without any issue?" There was a silent threat in that question. Naruto and the girl named Sakura both turned pleading stares on Sasuke. Kakashi had him trapped. It was something Sasuke caught onto quickly because his eyes narrowed further before smoothing out into something more impassive.

"I need answers. Konoha has them." He would return...for now. Kakashi seemed to accept his answer, closely studying the Uchiha before looking away, arms crossing and uncrossing. 

"We'll bring him to the Hokage and figure this all out." He stated, voice far too level. He avoided looking at Itachi who seemed torn between confusion and annoyance. Sasuke expected this answer and Itachi winced at his hands were pulled behind his back and bound. Naruto and the girl shared uneasy glances and Kakashi motioned for them to move.

"Let's go. The rest of the part is waiting outside." Itachi was roughly pushed forward by his brother, but managed to keep his footing. Kakashi moved towards Itachi and looked down at him while Itachi peered back. He could hear Naruto softly speaking to Sasuke who responded in clipped voices. With them distracted Kakashi spoke.

"You recognized me." He mused.

"Of course." Itachi replied, voice soft. The nin studied Itachi closely before shooting a quick glance at Sasuke who was half listening to Naruto half in his own head.

"How much do you actually remember?" Kakashi prompted and Itachi blinked once, confused by the question and the suspicion in his senpai's eyes. Sasuke shoved Itachi again and the boy nearly fell if Sasuke did not have a hold of his wrists, yanking him upright. Kakashi shot an unimpressed glare at Sasuke who ignored him. Naruto met Kakashi's eyes and they silently agreed that they needed to watch the situation...closely. As they rounded the corner, Tobi stood down the hall and watched. An unexpected turn of events, but perhaps not an unwelcome one. It had been sometime since anything interesting had happened around there.


	2. Driven By Hate

The return to Konoha was nearly silent. Even Naruto seemed to not know what to say, glancing at Sasuke from the corner of his eyes several times. Sakura looked troubled. She walked, shoulders stiff and mouth pulled into a thin line. They must have not been expecting Sasuke to just...go with them. Or Itachi to be with them. It left too many questions. They had arrived late at night, so there were no witnesses as they approached the daunting, familiar gates. Sasuke's grip on Itachi's wrists were brutal and Naruto desperately wanted to tell him to ease off. Itachi however did not appear to be bothered by the treatment, he seemed lost in his own thoughts. He glanced in the direction where the Uchiha district was before turning back to the path he was led. Sakura bid the group a goodnight and cast a look towards Itachi that held both contempt and pity. As she rounded the corner behind the building, Kakashi turned towards Sasuke.

“Okay, unbind his wrists.” He motioned to Itachi. At his side, Sasuke scoffed, dark eyes narrowed on his former sensei. 

"I'm not-" Sasuke started to argue but Kakashi cut him off. 

"He's made no move to escape yet. In any event, I want to check out his wrist." Kakashi did not look at his wayward student as he walked over to Itachi and undid the rope entangling the Uchiha's wrists and tossing it aside without a glance. Itachi's wrists were terribly bruised, one obviously broken and swollen. He did not speak or struggle as Kakashi checked them over, turning them to look at the bruises. Itachi kept his dark eyes focused on Kakashi, taking in the changes the man had gone through. Naruto shot an apprehensive glance towards Sasuke who was staring intently at his sibling as if waiting for him to bite off Kakashi's head. His eyes were narrowed on him, fingers curled into a tense fist at his side.

Had Itachi really been this small at twelve? Sasuke was sure that he had been taller. Yet, here he stood, smaller than Sasuke had been at his age. It was almost funny how larger than life he had always pictured Itachi. Now, it seemed those memories didn't mean much at all. Kakashi securely wrapped the broken wrist, winding the gauze around it with practiced ease and cutting off the excess. When finished he inclined his head back to Sasuke, signaling for them to carry on, keeping one hand firmly on Itachi's shoulder.

Luckily, Tsunade had already been in her office. She had been going over files and was surprised by the knock on the door. She hadn’t been expecting anyone at this hour but instantly recognized the overpowering chakra. Naruto barged in and she scowled, tossing her pen aside in obvious pleasure to have an excuse to take a break. 

"Well brat, decided to start early huh?" She leaned back in her chair, drumming her fingers onto the worn desk. 

"Naaa granny, I just thought you would wanna see something." Naruto replied, something troubled his eyes. This caught Tsunade’s interest and she stood, walking around the desk. Kakashi and Sasuke walked through the door and Tsunade blinked, stepping back in shock. She had not expected to see the Uchiha back in the village anytime soon. So that meant Naruto had managed to convince him to return. 

"Well, this is-" Her eyes suddenly caught sight of a smaller figure standing close to Sasuke and her words died on her lips. She recognized that face. "Itachi." She stated softly and her eyes roved to a nodding Kakashi who glanced down at Itachi, his hand still lingering on his shoulder. 

"Maaa, Itachi... the Third Hokage passed away a couple years ago. This is Tsunade, the Godaime." He explained to the boy who offered her a bow and respectful greeting, seeming bewildered by this information. 

'Much politer than that brother of his...' Tsunade mused, still trying to understand what exactly she was looking at. Speaking of which, the other Uchiha was openly glaring at his sibling, ignoring Naruto's attempts to placate him. 

"Is someone going to start explaining what happened?" Tsunade asked and Kakashi met Naruto's eyes, nodding once to Itachi and motioned to the door. The blonde got the message and offered a teasing salute to the group before striding over to Itachi with a surprisingly warm smile. Itachi tentatively offered one back, still hesitant.

"Come on, let's let the geezers talk a bit." He didn't touch Itachi, but indicated for him to follow him which the boy did docile, glancing back towards Sasuke before trailing after Naruto. Sasuke's glare followed them all the way. Once the door was closed Tsunade cast a glare at the two men.

"Explain." She ordered and the two shared glances. Sasuke defensively crossed his arms, chin jutted out in obvious defiance. 

"I went to confront Itachi and hit him with a jutsu I stole from one of Orochimaru’s scrolls. He was surrounded with some weird black light and it exploded. He was a kid when it cleared." Sasuke explained, motioning to the door. Tsunade's frown did not lessen. She glanced down at her desk in contemplation, hands pressing against the varnish. 

"I have not heard of anything like this happening before.” She muttered, staring at her freshly painted nails. “What sort of jutsu was it?" She asked and Sasuke had the decency to frown.

"I don't know. Orochimaru hadn’t been able to perfect it so I stole it to see if it would be of any use.." Sasuke shrugged almost carelessly. He had been throwing whatever he could at Itachi by that point. 

Tsunade walked around her desk and peered out the window, arms crossed over her chest. "Does he remember anything?" She questioned softly and Kakashi was quick to shake his head. 

"No, from what I gathered as far as he recalls he's still in ANBU and his family is..." His voice trailed off and Tsunade pursed her lips.

“He could be lying.” She pointed out. “Trying to save his skin by putting up an innocent act.” She watched as Sasuke bristled at this thought, head lifting to look out the door. Could it be a ruse? A way to survive? He had just walked out that door with Naruto...a target to the Akatsuki. Could they have just-

“No,” Kakashi spoke up. “I don’t think he is. There was no recognition in his eyes. Just confusion. He couldn't have covered it up that easily.” Tsunade released a heavy sigh, head tipping back towards the ceiling. 

"How am I supposed to go forward with this?" Tsunade murmured, tapping her foot as she mused. There was no guidance on this sort of thing. Her eyes focused on Sasuke. "What are your intentions here?" She questioned sharply. “Why come back at all?” Kakashi eyed the Uchiha curiously. 

Sasuke glanced between the two, remaining aloof. "Same as they were before."

"You're saying you'd kill him when he has no memory of...anything?" Tsunade could not keep the disapproval from her voice and the Uchiha scoffed. 

"What did you expect to happen? You expect me to take in my now younger brother with open arms and hope for the best? I _know_ what he is. He was thirteen when he killed the clan. He confirmed he was twelve. Just because he's no longer an adult does not make him any less dangerous."

"I won't have you gutting him in Konoha." Tsunade stated sharply, catching Kakashi idly inspecting his nails from the corner of her eye. Sasuke's responding sneer was cold and Tsunade swore she could see Orochimaru in it.

"Then I can drag him somewhere else. Slit his throat and be done with it." He replied coolly. Kakashi closed his eyes and Tsunade stared at him, lip pursed. 

"Why bring him all this way if you were just going to kill him?" She asked and Sasuke tilted his head back, seeming lost in thought.

"I gain nothing from killing him when he has no memory. He's here now. I want to show him what he did." He replied and Kakashi shook his head. He bowed to Tsunade who excused him with a wave of her hand. She continued speaking to Sasuke as Kakashi walked out the door. There were some early risers in the lobby but he spoke to no one as he briskly walked out of the building, Sasuke's words echoing in his ears. He highly doubted Tsunade would allow Sasuke to kill his brother at this point. She was a good woman and no doubt found the idea of killing a kid who at this point had clean hands seemed too much.

He found Naruto and Itachi sitting outside on a park bench. Naruto was telling him about Team 7 without giving away anything about the Uchiha's or Sasuke's defection. He was speaking highly of Sasuke and Itachi listened with a smile. "You and him are friends?" Itachi asked, watching Naruto avidly. Naruto, despite his history with the Akatsuki, seemed unable to hold a grudge. He was grinning at the Uchiha, eyes squinting. 

"The best! Don't let him tell you anything different!" Naruto declared and Itachi nodded in understanding. When Kakashi approached, Naruto leapt to his feet looking ready to ask about Sasuke but was unsure how with Itachi sitting right there. Itachi watched Kakashi curiously, hands clasped on his lap. The Copy nin let out a loud dramatic sigh and plopped down beside Itachi, casually draping his arm over the back of the bench Naruto moved around him, mouth opening to ask about Sasuke but the Copy nin waved him off as he instead looked at the Uchiha at his side. 

" _You_ kid, are causing quite the stir." He teased, tone light but forced. Itachi looked down, curling the fingers of his uninjured hand. Naruto and Kakashi watched him study his fingers for a moment before the boy looked from Naruto to Kakashi. 

"I feel like something has happened and I do not know about it." There was something uncertain in his dark eyes as he studied the other nin, as if searching for an answer. "What’s happened? Why does...why does Sasuke hate me?" Itachi asked, voice low as if afraid someone would overhear them. Naruto stood, mumbling something about going to get Sasuke. Kakashi tilted his head back and looked at the sky. Morning was slowly approaching.

"That is something Sasuke needs to tell you." He replied, feeling Itachi exhale. Kakashi fought the urge to begin to ask Itachi questions. Instead he continued staring at the sky waiting for the boy to speak.

"So, I gather that I am supposed to be...older." Itachi began after a moment and Kakashi nodded. 

"Yup, you're about twenty-one years old now." He offered. Itachi's head tilted in thought and an uncertain smile curled across his lips.

"So Sasuke would be about sixteen." He noted. He looked towards the sky along with the nin. "I suppose he's technically my big brother now..." He mused and Kakashi hummed thoughtfully before looking at Itachi's hands.

"How's your wrist?" Kakashi questioned softly and Itachi glanced at his bandaged hand, not doubting that it was swelling beneath the gauze. He moved it lightly, fingers twitching. 

"It's fine."

"You sure?" Kakashi prompted, recalling how stubborn the boy had always been.

Itachi set his hand back onto his lap. "I am thank you. If anything I can go to my mother. She’s good with minor scrapes like these. I’m sure she’ll have questions on why I’m...like this." Itachi stated. He suddenly wondered what had changed. How his parents were and what Shisui was like as an adult and how he'd react to seeing Itachi like this. He offered Kakashi a polite smile, hoping to ease whatever seemed to be bothering him. Kakashi managed to return it but as soon as the boy looked away it fell. He felt like he had been punched in the chest. Of course Itachi would think his mother was still alive. How would he handle this? He knew Sasuke would not be gentle with it. Itachi turned back and regarded Kakashi closely, noticing how troubled he looked. He fought on what he could say to the man.

"I heard Naruto refer to you as Sensei. It suits you." He commented and Kakashi could not help but smile at this, appreciating the honesty in Itachi’s voice.

"Now don't go telling everyone I'm a big softie now. I have a reputation to uphold." He replied, waggling his finger. 

"Of course. Wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea." Itachi agreed easily enough, looking at his sensei with that usual respect he always had. They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes before they heard bickering voices approach. 

"You can't just-"

"Shut up Dobe."

"But he's not-" The voice was drowned out by Sasuke's approach. Itachi stood, Kakashi following. He looked at his brother curiously but cautiously. What had Tsunade spoken to Sasuke about? When Sasuke reached for Itachi, the younger walked closer allowing the teenager to grab him by the arm. Naruto strode forward, looking concerned. Both sensei and teammate watched Sasuke who refused to look at Itachi. 

"I'll meet you both tomorrow morning." Sasuke stated, glancing from the blonde to Kakashi who nodded stiffly. Sasuke’s grip on Itachi’s arm was tightening as he spoke, digging into the pale flesh. Itachi seemed to be doing his best to keep his discomfort tucked away, eyes averted. He turned and began to walk away, dragging Itachi along. Naruto sighed and wished them all a goodnight, obviously reluctant to let Sasuke go, while Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and watched the two Uchiha brothers wander into the dark, Itachi glancing back once and meeting Kakashi's gaze. A silent question hanging heavily in the air.

* * *

The walk to the Uchiha district was silent, much like the travel back to the village. Sasuke refused to speak to Itachi and Itachi, afraid to anger Sasuke, did not try to speak up. When they approached the entrance Itachi was too distracted by staring at Sasuke to notice how weathered everything appeared, or the broken yellow tape flowing in the breeze. In fact it took him until they were well into the district to really look around. He was surprised with how quiet everything was. Usually there were patrols up and some of the more ambitious Uchihas were beginning their day. It seemed almost...empty. He chanced a glance up at Sasuke and was met with his enraged glare, his Sharingan glowing eerily in the dim light. His brother had the Sharingan now. He had come so far.

"Sasu-" He began only to be shoved back, stumbling over his feet and nearly falling.

"Shut up!" Sasuke snarled. He stood in the middle of the empty road and breathed in deeply. He never wanted to have to step foot back in this place. He could feel that night coming back. This emptiness...it was suffocating. Sasuke was drowning in it and he would take Itachi with him. He shoved Itachi to his knees and the boy went down without a fight. "Look around!" Sasuke ordered, voice echoing and Itachi's brows furrowed, looking lost.

"Not so loud." Itachi hissed. "You'll wake-" Sasuke let out a cold bark of laughter and yanked Itachi back to his feet, jarring the boy, his head slamming back with a snap.

_There's no one to wake..._

_There never will be again..._

There was an almost animalistic rage brewing in Sasuke's stomach. He was here for a purpose and he was going to **show** Itachi. He dragged Itachi forward, his grip on Itachi's wrists tightening to the point that Itachi was fighting down a wince as his already broken wrist was ruthlessly squeezed. They reached their house and Sasuke visibly hesitated, mother and father's corpses burned into his memory. 

Itachi attempted to pull from the teen's grip and Sasuke snarled at him to stop moving. He managed to open the door and threw Itachi in ahead of him. Itachi stumbled and fell to his knees only for Sasuke to advance on him and grab him by the hair, dragging him further into the house. Instinctively, Itachi lifted his hands to try to ease the pressure on his scalp, but the older boy barely noticed. It seemed Itachi wasn’t putting up much of a fight, as if not wanting to anger Sasuke further. Sasuke entered one of the rooms and shoved Itachi onto the floor. Itachi tried to sit up but Sasuke merely shoved him down and forward. Itachi lurched onto his stomach, Sasuke's foot harsh on his back, crushing all air from Itachi’s lungs. Hundreds of questions were racing through Itachi's mind, but he could not form the words. The pressure of Sasuke's foot on his back had him nearly wheezing. He could defend himself. He knew he could, but it had yet to click that this wasn't his little brother. That this wasn't a child he needed to be patient and gently with.

His fingers skittered over the floor, attempting to drag himself forward and away. As he reached forward, his fingers grazed over a discolored section that felt a bit rougher than the rest of the floor. Peering up, Itachi could see a large dark stain marring the wooden flooring. He squinted at the dark stain and attempted to turn towards Sasuke who, gripping Itachi's hair, dragged him closer and smacked Itachi's face into the stain. "Not everything could be cleaned up," Sasuke whispered as he crushed Itachi's face onto the stain. "Somethings you can't just wipe away." Itachi tried to look at Sasuke but Sasuke only shoved the boy's face harder into the floor, like he was handling a misbehaving animal. 

_The blood of his mother. The blood of his father..._

A permanent reminder of what horrors this monster had inflicted. He knelt close to Itachi's ear. "Do you know what this is **_Aniki_**?" He spat out the last word like it was filth. Itachi shook his head as best he could. He could not speak, bewildered and even a bit frightened by the cruelty his once sweet little brother was displaying. Where were mother and father? Sasuke sneered and leant his mouth close to Itachi's ear. "It's blood." He felt Itachi stiffen in shock. "Mother's blood. Father's blood. Throughout this entire district is the blood of the people you killed-"

" **_No!_** " Itachi managed desperately, voice cracking. Sasuke shoved Itachi onto his back and dug his knee into his chest, keeping him pinned as his hand encircled the boy's throat.

" _No?"_ Sasuke laughed without humor. "In a single night you wiped out the entire clan save for me. In a _single_ night you slaughtered innocent people-my _family_!"

"I-impossible!" Itachi managed despite the hand on his throat. He trembled violently, unwilling to believe it. This had to be some terrible mistake. He struggled against the hand around his neck. The older boy dug his fingers into the pale flesh harshly, tempted to tear it out right then and there. 

"Oh, it's possible Itachi. _You_ showed me that. It was easy for you with the Mangekyō Sharingan." Sasuke stated in a cruel voice that trembled with rage. Itachi blinked up at Sasuke and slowly shook his head, the hand he had been using to try to push Sasuke away, going still. 

"That's only possible if-"

"If you kill your best friend, " Sasuke finished for him with glee. "Which you did a _wonderful_ job of by the way. Drowning Shisui Uchiha in the river. Who would have thought!" Sasuke mocked watching with satisfaction as the little color in Itachi's face fled. Itachi gave a weak shake of his head, eyes wide and stark against his ashen skin. 

"No...no...you're lying. I wouldn't kill Shisui..." He choked. "I could never hurt him!" Sasuke felt a swell of sick satisfaction fill him when he saw a sheen on wetness fill Itachi's eyes. He stood suddenly, kicking Itachi in the side. The boy barely flinched, too shocked to even react as another kick was delivered, tossing him onto his side. 

"You're a murderer Itachi. I have spent half my life hunting you down so I could avenge them. Now, you're mine." Sasuke could say no more than that, casting another hateful look at Itachi before walking towards the door. He hesitated for a moment, gripping the door frame in a tight grip. "You can stay here for the night. Let mother and father keep you company." With that Sasuke walked out the door, slamming and locking it behind him.

It was silent out. The silence that was always followed by the first light of day. The wooden support beams groaned slightly as Sasuke stalked over them, quietly threatening to give out. He heavily sat on the crickety deck and stared down into the water below. He could see the sun slowly peaking in the distance, his reflection rippling in the water. Once again that reflection turned into Itachi who stared coolly at him. Sasuke scowled and looked away. When he looked back it was only him again but another standing behind him. It was rare when Naruto was able to sneak up on him. Sasuke was distracted.

"Dobe." Sasuke greeted dryly.

"Teme." Came the unusually soft reply. Sasuke did not move as Naruto sat beside him, face more serene than Sasuke had ever seen it.

"Why are you here, Naruto?" Sasuke asked not looking at him and Naruto offered him a slight grin.

"Sick of me already Sasuke? I've barely even started talking yet." He quipped and nudged Sasuke's shoulder with his own. Sasuke sighed and lifted his face from staring into the water to meet those far to happy eyes.

"You came to make sure I didn't kill Itachi." He deduced. 

"Or yourself," Naruto shrugged. "There's no telling with you." He looked out towards the sky and Sasuke noted that his usual smile was replaced with something far wearier. The sun glittered against his hair, casting him in an orange glow. It figured that Naruto would absorb sunshine. They sat in silence for several minutes, watching the sunrise. The day was warm and Sasuke closed his eyes as the sun lifted to his face. "I missed you, Sasuke." Naruto suddenly blurted out.

Sasuke blinked, surprised by the blunt confession and regarded the other warily. "Why?" He asked. Naruto turned to him with a scowl.

"Why do you think? You're my best friend, asshole!" He replied, and nudged Sasuke again. Sasuke shook his head but lightly nudged Naruto back.

"Tch, idiot." Sasuke replied softly but both boys knew that he missed Naruto too.

Back in the abandoned home, Itachi sat hunched where Sasuke had left him. He stared at the now black blood stain with unblinking eyes. His fingers shakily reached forward and hesitantly touched the stain. He tried to think back. He tried to remember him as he once was. Sasuke had not told him why he had done it. Why would he do this? Why would he kill Shisui? How could he? He looked to his hands, noting once again how frail they were. Too small to be taken seriously, even with his talent. These were the hands used to murder his clan? Tears slowly dripped down his cheeks and he did not bother to wipe them away. He thought back...he was twelve years old... he was part of ANBU under Hound’s authority. Danzō-San had just recently given him the order to spy on his family. Shisui had admitted that he was given directions to spy on Itachi from their clan. That did not mean anything! From spying to a massacre? It did not add up.

He had just recently returned from his own mission with his team. Tenzo had kindly asked Itachi what his hobbies were. They had discovered they both liked tea and had recommended different cafes. They had made plans to go out. Itachi had been excited. He never got to go out.

Kakashi had managed to crack a joke, relaxed among his team. A leap from when they had started. Itachi wondered if he knew the effect he had on him. The Uchiha family had never approved of the nin's Sharingan. Shisui had teasingly accused him of having a baby crush on his captain.

_'Out of all the people you could be batting your eyelashes at, it had to be the one guy that the whole family dislikes.'_

_'A_ _t least I keep the family on their toes.'_

Kakashi was a good mentor. Any advice he had to give, Itachi accepted with utmost respect and admiration. He had offered to spend the evening and help Itachi with training exercises, noting that Itachi hesitated with certain aspects. Itachi was willing to learn anything that he could. Shisui had seen right through him.

_'Busy night?'_

_'Very. Long mission. Ran late.'_

_'Ahh.’_ It wasn’t like Shisui had anything to really worry about. Itachi truly only had eyes for him and he knew it. 

He killed them? He killed his family...Sasuke...he had turned Sasuke into this... _why_? Itachi stood shakily, bile rising in his throat. He forced it down. He slowly backed away from the stain and wiped at his eyes as he groped for the wall. His finger's clutched the cold wood and he let out a ragged breath that sounded more like a sob, hand darting to cover his mouth. He was going to vomit. There was no stopping it. He dry heaved, his stomach empty and unable to produce anything. 

Itachi turned on his heel, striding away from the stain and attempted to push the door open when instead he nearly smacked into Sasuke who had entered the home silently, catching Itachi off guard. Itachi lifted his face, quickly putting on a mask of indifference as he studied at his sibling who stared back coldly.

"Why?" Itachi asked finally, voice calmer than he felt. Sasuke’s scarlet eyes remained narrowed on the boy. 

"To test your capabilities. After you killed Shisui, you wanted to see how powerful your eyes made you," Sasuke lazily informed him, gauging his reaction. "You killed them all before torturing me with the Mangekyō. You informed me that I was too pathetic to kill." Sasuke spoke as if he was discussing the weather and Itachi shook his head, throat dry.

"No." He did not flinch as Sasuke's hand snapped forward and grasped Itachi's neck, tilting his head up.

"You say that an awful lot." Sasuke scowled. Itachi stared at Sasuke with no expression.

"I'm sorry." He murmured and Sasuke glared at him in disgust. He had to see the not yet dry tear stains on his cheeks. How bloodshot his eyes were.

"You're pathetic," He spat, shoving Itachi’s face aside. He pulled away from Itachi, wiping his hand on his pants as if they had been touching something filthy. "Very few know of your return and Tsunade wants to keep it that way. You will stay here. You will not leave this house. You will have minimal contact with anyone. Tsunade has already decided that Naruto, Kakashi and I will be the only ones you speak to for the time being. She wants to take a blood sample and you will be escorted there and back. You will not cause trouble. You virtually do not exist. You are nothing. That masked idiot should be showing his face and bringing my team along. You will respect them. Tsunade does not want me killing you and I admit the thought of slitting your throat is strong...but I want you to remember. I want you to truly understand why I'm doing this. Once you're back to your regular age or once you remember everything I will be here and you will die." He jerked Itachi's slim shoulder in emphasis. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, otuo-"

The slap delivered was quick and Itachi's face jerked back with the force.

"You don’t get to fucking call me that! You will never call me that again." He snarled and Itachi murmured he understood. Sasuke stepped back, studying Itachi in disgust. "I'll return later today. Don't even try to escape. Kakashi has his spies watching the house at all times."

"I understand."

"Good." Sasuke turned to leave, stalking towards the door when Itachi spoke up.

"I'm sorry." He managed and the teenager slowly turned to face the boy. There was so much raw hatred in those eyes. So much hurt and anger that it had Itachi’s stomach turning again.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke's voice cut across the room and Itachi met his glare. He had met his father’s glare in this very room so often. Why did this one hurt so much?

"I'm so sorry Sasuke. For everything I did to you." Itachi managed, his heart broken over his little brother who had turned from a happy child into a teenager filled with so much hate. Something that should never have happened. He was surprised when he heard Sasuke let out a cold bark of laughter. Sasuke tilted his head, watching Itachi with a twisted little smile on his face, eyes glowing sinisterly.

_This was not Itachi's Sasuke...this was not his brother..._

"You're not sorry Itachi," Sasuke chuckled, voice echoing in the long dead room. "But you will be." The door slammed shut behind Sasuke and Itachi fell to his knees.

  
  



	3. In The House

If asked, Naruto would never admit to have been waiting almost impatiently for Sasuke Uchiha to approach him. It was midday and the sun was shining and Naruto was standing around, sweaty and nervous and far too excited. When he finally spotted his former teammate approaching from the direction of the compound he blew out a relieved sigh. "Hey, asshole." He greeted, and the Uchiha shot him an unimpressed glare, one dark eyebrow raised in haughtily. 

"Idiot." They fell in step together, Naruto knowing Sasuke was not ready to talk to anyone else offered to just have a relaxed day. No small talk, not running into anyone. The pair ventured to the Kage's heads and sat down watching the village below. It was funny how small the world was from up there. Everything seemed small while on this mountain. Naruto preened in the sunlight, kicking his feet while Sasuke sat with his chin resting on his knees staring into the distance. It was almost as if the last few years hadn't happened. Sasuke had never defected, Naruto had never tried and failed to bring him back. It almost felt normal. Naruto had kept pushing himself in search of Sasuke. He had seen everyone around him wavering. Even Sakura, for all her declarations was at the point where was ready to concede that Sasuke was never coming back.

"Sasuke?" Naruto began and Sasuke turned towards him wordlessly. Naruto fidgeted for a moment."How...how are you really? I mean...with everything. Itachi's suddenly a kid and you can't kill him. It's like everything you worked for disappeared. It's gotta be tough." Naruto turned away from Sasuke to look up at the sky, leaning back on his hands. It was silent for a long moment as he waited for Sasuke to find his words. It really did have to be frustrating. Things rarely ever went the way he planned these days. After a moment he heard Sasuke breathe out.

"I don't have any doubt of what he is and what he is capable of. It's...annoying. It was much simpler when he was an adult and I could just kill him and be done with it. Now it would feel cheap to do anything. Is it all some fucked up game he's playing? Laying in wait until we lower our defenses or is he really...that."?" Sasuke mused and Naruto shrugged.

"I think that's something you're going to have to ask him yourself." They watched a pair of birds fly by, swopping low and chirping loudly. 

"Ask him?" Sasuke sneered. "I can't stand the very sight of him. He'd never tell me the truth anyway. It's all a game to him. " Naruto turned his head towards him, patiently waiting for him to continue. "Besides I can already guess it was the power rush he had. He thought he was unbeatable. Heh, we'll see about that."

"Don't do anything you're gonna regret Sasuke." Naruto warned. The Uchiha shot the blonde a glare and moved to his feet, regarding Naruto from where he continued to sit.

"I have no regrets. I can’t afford them. Whatever ends up happening between me and him is on him. He brought this on himself. I'm simply fulfilling the promise I made." His voice came out clipped and Naruto winced at this. At the absolute ice in Sasuke's voice. He really was going to wait it out. Wait for the perfect time to take Itachi down. His age didn't mean anything. Naruto didn't want to even begin to imagine what that day would look like. He knew Itachi would grow up to be a monster and an enemy, but it left him uneasy to image Sasuke killing him when he wasn't even that person yet. It felt wrong in a way. Maybe Naruto was too trusting and naive, but this Itachi was so young. It felt wrong to watch him die.

Walking back to the district was just as hard as the first time. It always felt as if his steps were getting heavier. As if the dead were attempting to pull him down to join them. He approached the familiar gates ignoring the passing glances he was shot. Civilians recognized him and were no doubt curious to the details of his return. Pakkun was resting on the wall of the district and at Sasuke's approach, lifted his head. Sasuke nodded at him and continued on. Upon entering the house, Sasuke noted how utterly silent it was. He activated his Sharingan and stilled. There had been no mention of Itachi leaving the house. He wasn't authorized to leave. He had to be in here somewhere. He closed the door behind him and walked through the dust covered room. After a moment he found Itachi's chakra signature. He silently made his way down the hall and looked into Itachi's old room. He found the murderer sitting at the window, staring out it with his chin resting in his palm. He gave no indication to noticing Sasuke for a moment until he finally lifted his eyes to look at his sibling. The two stared at each other for a moment. After a moment Itachi seemed to lose his nerve and he looked down at himself, toying with a loose strip of bandage on his broken wrist.

"You’ve spent half your life tracking me down,” He mused, turning back towards the window and pressing his thin fingers against the dusty glass. “I apologize to have put you in this position.” Just his voice had Sasuke gritting his teeth, fighting the immediate urge to lash out at him.

“Save your apologies,” Sasuke spat. “They’re meaningless to me.” He watched Itachi’s hand trail down the glass, leaving streaks behind. He was silent for a long moment.

"What happened after I...after I killed them?" Itachi asked and Sasuke scoffed, fingers curled over the hilt of his katana. 

_‘Just one strike...’_

"Don't bother asking. This isn't my job to fill you in on what the fuck you were doing. I'm not explaining anything to you." He replied and Itachi's face remained impassive as he looked at him. He stood slowly, rubbing his shoulder absently studied his old room. Everything he saw had a thick layer of dust. The walls seemed faded and cold. He glanced at his feet, noting that his room had no traces of blood. He had not chased his parents down it seemed. Perhaps he had caught them by surprise. Sasuke could feel chakra approaching the house. It was Hebi, finally arriving to Konoha. He could just imagine the scorn they had met upon approaching the gates. Tsunade had given word ahead of time that they were to be allowed in. Sasuke made another disgusted noise and stepped from the room, motioning for Itachi to follow him and he did so quietly.

Sasuke honestly did not know what he would do with Itachi. Sasuke himself had several meetings with the elders and Itachi was to attend these meetings eventually. They hadn't given much insight on their plans for Itachi, more worried that it was a ruse. Tsunade had attended one, despite the obvious disapproval of the elders. It was weird the way they looked down on her, but she was as solid as the mountain. She didn't crumble under their scorn. She had voiced her own opinion that the jutsu Sasuke had used wiped Itachi's memory as well as his age. Sasuke barked at Itachi to keep his eyes forward and not touch anything. At the knock at the door, Sasuke scowled and told Itachi to wait while he answered it. As soon as it opened he was pounced on. "Sasuke-Kun!" Karin shrieked happily, hanging from his neck. Behind her stood Suigestu and Juugo who waved sheepishly.

"The talking dog told us you'd be here." Suigestu stated. Karin released Sasuke and offered him a a smile, her hands firmly resting on his shoulders.

"Itachi's partner got away and we were told you survived but Itachi was-...oh." Karin murmured as she stared over Sasuke's shoulder. Suigetsu and Juugo strained to get a look at what had caught Karin's attention.

There was a beat of silence. 

"He looks... _different_." Suigetsu stated, scratching his face and Sasuke fought down the urge to sigh in response.

"My jutsu reverted him back to a kid." He explained, not wanting to get into details. Juugo blinked in surprise. Karin pushed past Sasuke and quickly made her way towards Itachi. She looked him over for a long moment while Itachi remained silent. It seemed she saw something she liked as she clasped her hands over her heart.

"Well, he's just adorable isn't he?" She cooed. "You changed him back into a boy! Look at those eyelashes! He's like a doll!" She threw her arms around the boy who tensed in surprise at the non violent greeting. He didn’t dare push her away. She pressed his face against his chest while he tried to politely pull away. Suigetsu snickered while Sasuke shot Karin an annoyed glare.

"Yes, very adorable indeed. Especially drenched in the blood of his parents." He reminded her and she pulled away as if burned while Itachi looked away. Sasuke seemed nonplused as he lost interest in Karin and turned to Juugo, asking about the journey. Karin hesitated at Itachi's side, taking in his bruised complexion.

Yet she nodded quietly. "Of course. I'm sorry Sasuke-Kun." It seemed she had gotten ahead of herself and forgotten who exactly was standing in front of her.

"Lighten up Sasuke," Suigetsu replied, motioning to Itachi in dismissal as he pushed into the house with Juugo following. "He hardly looks like a threat now." Before Sasuke could reply Juugo turned to him.

"He was young when he killed his clan." He reminded the other boy, no one noticing the small flinch from the boy in question. Suigetsu shrugged and turned to Itachi, hands on hips.

"Meh, still doesn't look like much to me. Strong wind could probably take him out. Just look at those scrawny arms." He seemed to find comfort in the idea of Itachi looking nonthreatening and Itachi offered no response or defense. Sasuke let out a disgusted noise and motioned for Itachi to leave, glaring daggers at the younger. The boy was quick to disappear and Sasuke turned to his team. Karin tore her gaze from where Itachi had vanished to meet Sasuke's scowl. Sasuke looked between the three of them, noticing that Tobi was not among them.

"What happened to Tobi?" He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. "I thought he would be here by now."

"Akatsuki business or something. He said he’d catch up." Suigetsu replied and Sasuke scowled walking towards the kitchen.

"Did he say anything else?" He asked.

"He said keep the kid alive. I suppose _that_ was the kid." Suigetsu scratched his chin earning an eye roll from Karin. 

"We’ll figure out what he wants eventually. Meanwhile I want you guys to settle in here. You have free choice of whatever house you want. No doubt you'll meet Naruto and everyone else later." He muttered as he led them to the kitchen.

"What's going to happen with the kid?" Suigetsu asked as he sat down on the counter, drumming his fingers over the dirty surface.

"Tsunade wants him to be kept alive. The elders of course found out about him and want to meet him."Sasuke grunted, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. They seemed different that he had expected. Less worried about the public's safety and more of their reaction to finding out about him. Sasuke glanced down at his crossed arms. Karin reached to touch Sasuke's elbow but thought better of it and pulled away. For a moment a heavy awkward silence weighed down around them.

"He remembers nothing?" Juugo prompted.

"No." They could almost _feel_ the anger in that admission. His revenge had been so close and now snatched away as if fate refused to allow him that chance.

"So he's innocent them? I mean, he's not the same person we were hunting down." The copper haired teen mumbled and Sasuke shot him a withering glare, pushing off the wall.

"He is anything but **_innocent_**." Sasuke snarled and stalked towards the window. The team watched him in tense silence. He looked down at his hands, looking for some answer in them and finding nothing. "And I won't let him ever forget it."

Outside of Konaha standing above Hashirama Senju's head stood a masked man. Birds chirped and flew overhead, a perfectly beautiful day. His focus lingered on the compound far in the corner. Madara Uchiha smiled as he surveyed the village below. He had not been anticipating the turn of events. Obito seemed just as amused by it all as he was. Fate had a funny way of changing wind. "Oh Itachi-San. What would you think now?" He mused. "It seems death still denies you."

* * *

That evening, Sasuke took his team to meet with the Hokage. Kakashi offered to keep an eye on Itachi and Sasuke was more than willing for an excuse to get away from his brother for a bit so he jumped on the offer. Kakashi noted how cold the house was when he walked in. A staleness hung in the air that was nearly cloying. The ghosts of the past seemed to haunt the place. Itachi’s slowly recovering chakra signature was hidden away in his room. Kakashi walked down the hall and lightly knocked on the door and a moment later, Itachi opened it and peered out at him; the bruises on his face were fierce. At the sight of Kakashi, Itachi averted his gaze.

"Kakashi-Senpai." He greeted softly, offering a respectful bow. The copy nin nodded in greeting. He took in the sorry state of the boy as he forced himself to remember what this baby faced boy had done. Yet Kakashi was not a malicious person. He could not bring himself to hate this boy who once called him Captain. 

"Yo." He held up a bag of with salve in it. "I come bearing gifts." At this Itachi smiled slightly and hesitantly stepped from his room.

"Sasuke is allowing it?" He still had a grip on the side of the doorway, almost anchoring him in place.

"Sasuke's not here to stop me." The older shinobi shrugged and Itachi fought down another smile, looking down at his feet.

"Thank you." He replied in earnest, as he slid the door close behind him. Kakashi led Itachi to the kitchen and ushered him to sit in one of the chairs.He took Itachi's damaged wrist and looked it over before reaching into his bag and grabbing some fresh medical tape. While he rewrapped it, Itachi watched him. He took in the slight differences in the copy nin's appearance. He was no longer ANBU...being a Sensei suited him. "You've been very kind to me...despite what I've done." He mused and Kakashi stilled but did not look up from Itachi's hand.

"So, Sasuke told you." He stated casually, fighting the initial reaction to squeeze down on Itachi's arm. It was not a question.

"Yes. He told me." Itachi replied, sounding subdued. Kakashi moved to the bruises on Itachi's face, tilting the boy’s head up. Itachi focused on a point on the ceiling as the man's fingers worked the salve Sakura had given him on the worst of the bruising, touch careful as he slid a finger under Itachi's left eye. "Did I say anything to you? I...before I did it? Any warning?" Itachi suddenly asked feeling foolish. Kakashi didn't respond for a long moment, finishing up and rummaging through his bag. Itachi closed his eyes in disappointment. Several moments later the Copy nin brushed a thumb over Itachi's bruised brow, spreading the green paste over the darkened flesh.

"You thanked me." He replied, voice taking on a tone he rarely used. "You had done so when you made Captain and again a few nights before the massacre.” The Hokage had mentioned Itachi had made Captain. Itachi still didn’t believe he could have been ready for it. “I hadn’t thought much of it at the time. You were always way too polite but this had felt like a goodbye of sorts. Then...the team was called in for...well _cleanup_.”

Itachi flinched at this and Kakashi pulled away as if burned. "I'm sorry." Itachi managed, but Kakashi would not look at him. He stood suddenly, walking towards the window while Itachi looked on after him. The man stared out the musty window for a long moment. He could feel the Uchiha watching him.

"I thought I knew you," Kakashi mused in that same soft tone. "I never thought you were capable of...this." He indicated to the dead house.

"Neither did I." Itachi stared down at his hands. Kakashi turned and shot Itachi a look of disdain, anger rising in his chest as he stared at the murderer. This boy was not what he appeared to be. That soft child voice would one day be used in violence. Those small hands were the same hands that destroyed Sasuke's life and ultimately drove him to betrayal. He remembered being on the end of those eyes. The pain and hopelessness. How could he...to his own brother.

"You knew it Itachi. It's in you somewhere." He replied, coldly. Itachi turned his head away, unable to look at the man. His words hurt but Itachi knew he deserved them. Kakashi cast Itachi a final cool glare before he walked away from the window and opened the door. For a moment he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something more but instead he shook his head and was gone.

Karin, Juugo and Suigestu were each given their own house in the Uchiha district to stay as promised. Karin had gravitated to Sasuke's aunt and uncle's house, finding the garden out back. It had long overgrown into something barely recognizable. Auntie would have been devastated to see her garden in such a state. Suigetsu and Juugo had both taken some cousin's home. Sasuke could't remember what their names had been. Sasuke had mulled over taking another home but settled with staying at his parent's to make sure Itachi was kept under heel. Nothing like dead parents to force a sociopath into submission. Sasuke met Kakashi sitting on the porch watching the stars. The two greeted each other with nods and Kakashi watched Sasuke enter the house. Sasuke headed for his old room, bypassing Itachi's without a glance. He threw himself upon his bed, and a layer of dust puffed into the pair. He turned onto his back, deciding that he would clean it later. Sasuke glanced out the window and could see the faint glow of the moon.

Tsunade expressed interest in checking Itachi over and the elders were very much interested in meeting him. Danzō in particular was voicing his intention. The look of disgust he had shot Sasuke had left a cold feeling in his chest. Something abut that old man was not right. People like him should not be in power. It just...he wasn't sure what about the old man bothered him so much. Sasuke turned onto his side and closed his eyes trying to sleep. Instead is parent's faces plagued his every thought and their murderer continued to breathe just down the hall...

The next morning, Sasuke woke up late. He sat up and scowled at nothing in particular. When he heard movement, he slowly got from his bed and opened his door. The hall was empty and he noticed that the layer of dust on the floor was gone. Stifling a yawn, Sasuke padded down the hall and was surprised to find Naruto and Itachi cleaning the windows. A bucket of soapy water sat between them, the floor covered in suds. Naruto turned and waggled his eyebrows at Sasuke while Itachi continued to clean without looking at his brother. "What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked and Naruto tossed the rag away grinning.

"I came by to drag you out of here but found Itachi cleaning the place up. I decided to help him." Sasuke glanced to Itachi who turned to look at him, face devoid of emotion.

"That's really not necessary Naruto." Sasuke muttered, glancing at the now clean walls.

"You were just commenting last night that the place was stuffy." Naruto shrugged. Sasuke looked at the floor, noting that the bloodstain had not been touched. He turned a glare towards Itachi who tilted his head quietly.

"I spoke more with the Hokage. The elders and Danzō have demanded your presence." Sasuke informed his sibling casually, before glancing towards the window and missing how Itachi's fingers had tightened on the rag he was holding. "Tsunade thinks it's a good idea to appease them so that is exactly what you will do. I have not been told when this meeting will occur but when it does you will come to me with everything you spoke of." Itachi nodded at this with no argument, dipping the rag into the water again.

"The elders?" Naruto questioned in shock. "I'm surprised they haven't made a scene yet." It really was baffling. A dangerous missing nin was literally under their noses. Why weren't they jumping?

"They want to avoid the public from knowing we have a mass murdering psychopath in the village." Sasuke stated, staring at Itachi as he said this. "In fact _**I**_ would like to forget it too." Itachi's throat tightened as he fought down a retort, running the damp rag down the counter.

"Sakura has been asking about you," Naruto stated suddenly changing the subject in an attempt to ease the tension. Sasuke shot Naruto an unimpressed glare. "She was hoping you would want to meet up. Have lunch or something." Sasuke did not seem interested but his finally relented and gave a curt nod. 

"I guess I can introduce my team to her and everyone else. They still don't know?"

"Tsunade told Gai. I don't think he'll go blab though." Naruto replied, offering Sasuke a slight smile. "I think granny wants to call them all in and tell them at some point, she's just waiting for things to settle down I bit I guess."

"Hn...I'll grab Juugo and the others and we can meet you somewhere. I can't stay in this place for much longer." He looked around in disgust. Naruto nodded in understanding. He glanced at Itachi who hadn't looked up.

"Will you be staying here long or are you gonna find another place?" Naruto asked and Sasuke slowly looked around the house, arms crossed over his chest. Itachi looked up at this, obviously not certain on what Sasuke's plans were.

"I don't know." He didn’t know where he belonged. This seemed like being stuck in the past but Sasuke was hesitant to leave again. “It doesn’t feel much like home.” His eyes met Itachi’s and the boy was the first to look away. Naruto left a few minutes later, Sasuke telling him they would meet that night. This left just the siblings and the silence that followed was heavy. Sasuke looked around the room, face full of disdain.

"What are you trying to accomplish?" He suddenly asked and Itachi placed the rag down.

"I'm just trying to cle-"

" ** _Bullshit_**." Sasuke cut him off with a glare. His Sharingan activating and fixed on his brother. "I don't want you speaking to Naruto. He's too good to be around something like you." Sasuke snapped and Itachi closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in then out.

"I'm not seeking him out Sasuke," He replied softly. "He came here to see you. It was his own choice to speak to me." Sasuke advanced on Itachi who remained rooted to the spot in what Sasuke quickly decided was defiance. 

"You're walking on _thin_ ice Itachi I would be careful if I were you." Sasuke warned and Itachi met him with the cold aloofness that Sasuke knew so well.

"I've been walking on thin ice since you brought me here. I don’t know what else you want me to do.” The strike was quick but not unexpected and Itachi kept his face turned, cheek already turning an angry shade of pink. “Does this please you, Otouto?” He asked in a soft, calm voice. Slowly his own Sharingan appeared and Sasuke's eyes widened as he instinctively swung at Itachi who easily dodged his blow, scurrying under his arm. Sasuke snarled, leaping forward and Itachi dodged another strike, keeping a wide berth of space between the two. "I thought you would be better than this by now. You said you were going to kill me. I’m practically your prisoner, Otouto. You have the power and you haven’t taken it yet.” It felt good to speak up. This cruel teenager had taken his precious brother’s spot and there was a grim thrill in pushing back for once. The momentary satisfaction however was quickly squashed as Sasuke managed to grab a hold of Itachi's shirt and wrench him back. Itachi hit the floor violently and the air was knocked out of his lungs. The bucket of water had been knocked over and the dirty soapy water splashed over him, colder than he had expected it to be. His eyes closed as he tried to regain his breath and then a crackling noise came overhead, like birds chirping...he opened his eyes and was met with a bout of lighting, crackling from Sasuke's hand. He could barely hear Sasuke speak over it.

"I would kill you now." Sasuke stated, tone chilling, face illuminated in blue. "You would deserve it and it would be _easy_. But you don't deserve easy." The lightning began to fizzle away. "You're going to suffer Itachi, and you're going to know _why_." The lightning faded completely as Sasuke stared coldly down at his sibling who blinked back with identical eyes. Sasuke wanted to rip them out...his fingers itched to do so. Instead he turned on his heel and walked slowly out of the house. Itachi sat up, rubbing at his arm absently. He stared at the door as he went over his options. Stay and continue to allow Sasuke to take out his rage on him, fight back and risk injury...or run. He had nothing holding him here...he apparently had already cut ties... yet there were eyes on him at all times...he could easily take down anyone who tried to stop him...but still even with Sasuke older than him the thought of leaving the teen left Itachi feeling ill. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t hurt his brother even more than he already had. How could he have killed his entire family when the thought of leaving Sasuke was so painful? How could he turn out to be such a monster?


	4. In a Heartbeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Upsetting situations and abuse below.

The meeting with the council went as awkwardly as could be expected. They wanted to be sure Itachi retained no memories of his adult life. Sasuke and Kakashi had accompanied Itachi to the meeting and had answered any question directed at them. Inoichi and Tsunade had also arrived to watch over the proceedings. Tsunade had recommended that Inoichi probe Itachi’s mind and look into his memories. Surprisingly, Danzō had turned down the suggestion citing that whatever jutsu Sasuke had hit Itachi with could negatively impact the investigation. Tsunade had reluctantly accepted this, obviously not wanting to risk the probe harming Itachi. Itachi was instructed to sit in the middle of the room, surrounded and feeling as if he were on trial. Sasuke stood closest to him, arms crossed over his chest and back ridgid. 

Across from him sat the council, somehow even older looking that they had been last time Itachi had seen them. Danzō was watching him with that odd intensity of his, sitting back in his chair with his hands calmly folded in front of him. He was likely looking for any weakness in him. Itachi’s mind was abuzz. He wasn’t sure what the elders were looking for and he racked his brain in an attempt to remember anything he could. The last thing he could remember with any great clarity was Shisui admitting he had been ordered to spy on him and the both of them agreeing that they needed to ensure the village and clan didn’t come to blows. The clan had begun muttering, discontent with that state of things. Shisui and Itachi had seen the danger in some of their comments. How some more vocal members of the clan were starting to say more outlandish things. The elders had given Itachi instructions. He had been funneling information for weeks now.

Had Itachi turned on the village? Was he truly so power hungry? By their order, Itachi had spied yet they gave no indication to giving such an order. Although Danzō's beady eye remained locked on Itachi during the entire meeting. Itachi wondered if the old man would bring up anything at all but he was oddly silent throughout it all. He answered their questions with a straight face and Danzō watched him intently. Finally, Sasuke and Kakashi were dismissed. Tsunade and Inoichi also took the moment to make their exit and discuss their opinions on the meeting. Sasuke was reluctant to go but Danzō's hard stare had him following Kakashi. Once the door was closed, Danzō began to speak.

"Now that the formalities are out of the way, I would like to dive into things more thoroughly.” Danzō stood and the other members of the council watched him closely. “Do you recall our last order?" He asked and Itachi nodded, dimly disappointed that Danzō had not decided to brush it off. 

"Yes, Danzō-San." He replied respectfully and he swore he could see Danzō’s lip twitch.

"It was to spy on your clan, correct? To be our double agent?"

"Yes, Danzō-sama.” Members of the council shared dubious glances. They must have been hoping that Itachi’s memory of that would also have been lost.

"There was...nothing else correct? Nothing else you wish to tell us" Koharu Utatane asked and Itachi shook his head, fighting to not look down at his hands that were clasped on his lap.

"Nothing else, Utatane-sama."

"I assume your sibling gave you no further information so I will fill you in. The peace talks were a success but at some point you had...turned on your clan as well as your village," Danzō walked around the table and approached Itachi as he spoke. Itachi stared, a chill running down his spine. "Your clan and the elders sent Shisui Uchiha to confront you on your actions and you killed him, stealing his eyes." He gave Itachi a cold glare and the boy fought down the nausea in his stomach. What had he done? "During the night you for reasons unknown killed your entire clan, save your brother and vanished. Years later it was discovered you had joined a terrorist organization called the Akatsuki. You were still among their ranks when you battled your brother six days ago."

Itachi felt these words sink in...

_He was a traitor..._

_He was a murderer..._

_He was a monster..._

He had done the very thing he had hoped to stop his clan from possibly doing. He listened to Danzō as the man discussed weekly meetings with him privately. He was dazed, all energy having been sucked out of him with Danzō’s words. It was as if everything he stood for and believed in had simply vanished. When Itachi met Danzō's eyes, he knew in his heart that Danzō knew more than he admitted.

Much more.

Sasuke stood outside the room Itachi was being interrogated in, leaning against the wall, ankles crossed staring up as a crack on the ceiling. Kakashi sat slouched nearby, face buried in one of his books. It was completely silent between the two and neither bothered to fill it with mindless and needless talking. Sasuke's eyes followed the large crack as it ran down into the corner of the wall.

He hated sitting here and doing nothing. It felt counterproductive. The council seemed to enjoy their empty formalities. Honestly, Sasuke and Kakashi had no idea what the elders could be talking to Itachi about. Possibly gauging if Itachi was truly twelve. Sasuke uncrossed his arms before recrossing them, unable to get comfortable. Kakashi peered at him from behind the book.

"Worried?" He drawled and the boy made a noise of disgust, eyes flickering to him momentarily, not liking the look Kakashi was giving him. On either side of the chamber door stood two masked ANBU, silent and straight backed. Sasuke could feel their eyes on him.

"No." He replied rather petulantly. “I just want it over with.” Kakashi shrugged and returned to his book as Sasuke glanced towards the door, fighting the urge to approach it. However, Sasuke had no doubt that the doors were heavily guarded against any type of attack. The ANBU guarding it would never allow him to get too close. The Uchiha returned to looking at the wall; Kakashi turned a page, humming to himself. Sasuke cast a dark glare at the Copy nin as he continued to read his porn. He fought down the urge to say something and instead closed his eyes, fingers clenching and unclenching. 

When the door finally opened, Sasuke had a hard time pretending that he had not been waiting impatiently, pushing off the wall with an air of boredom. Itachi and Danzō walked from the room, the man holding onto Itachi's shoulder as they moved. Sasuke didn’t like the sight of that old man's fingers holding onto the back of Itachi's neck but the next second they were resting on his shoulder passively as if nothing had happened and Sasuke quickly forgot that momentary discomfort. Danzō regarded Kakashi and Sasuke blankly for a moment before looking back to Itachi, giving his bird boned shoulders what looked to be a reassuring squeeze. Itachi’s eyes were averted, seemingly lost in his own head.

"It has been decided that Itachi will attend weekly meetings with our council to evaluate his...condition,” He looked ill at ease when saying the word condition, but pressed on. “From what we gather his memories of his future exploits are gone. Perhaps for good. It would be wise to keep Itachi's existence in Konoha a secret. We would not want the masses having a chance to assault him in some ill advised attempt at glory?" The old man chuckled without humor, patting Itachi’s back, his one visible eye fixed on Sasuke. He fought down a scowl in response and Danzō’s already thin mouth seemed to suck inward as he had tasted something sour. “We have placed a chakra block on him. It won’t render him helpless but it will help keep his abilities under control. It is only a temporary solution until we can find a longer lasting blocker.” Sasuke looked at his brother, eyes searching for the blocker and Itachi wordlessly lifted his arm, showing a bright red seal against the pale flesh of forearm. 

“Does it drain his chakra or just keep it blocked?” Kakashi asked as he approached.

“A simple blocking element. Like I said it’s not a permanent solution and should be readministered every few days. It’s up to you of course, if you feel he’s earned some freedom in that regards.”

“Are we free to go now?” Sasuke asked, ignoring the warning look Kakashi shot him and the uncomfortable tension in Itachi’s shoulders. The ANBU at the door stood silent and Danzō’s released a weary sigh.

"The Hokage has decided to spare you from punishment...she had outside influence no doubt. I advise you to not squander it." He spoke this last part softly as if threatening him. Sasuke nodded stiffly, not fearing some old man. Kakashi bowed deeply and thanked Danzō, shooting Sasuke a reprimanding look. The elder grunted in response, his eyes sweeping once more over Itachi who seemed lost in his own world. He smiled at the boy, but not a kind smile and once again Sasuke had to fight down the discomfort he felt. Danzō dismissed them before walking slowly back into the chamber, the door quietly sliding shut behind him. 

The walk back to the district was tense, and they traveled the alleyways to avoid notice. Kakashi said his goodbyes before they reached the Uchiha compound, leaving the brothers to trek back alone. Karin greeted the brother's from where she was pulling overgrown weeds from one of the cousin's gardens. Sasuke grunted a greeting and kept walking while Karin quickly tried to usher Itachi over. Luckily, Juugo managed to catch Sasuke's attention and the smaller Uchiha approached the girl who offered the boy a grin. She was dressed casually, hair pulled into a messy ponytail and green gloves on her hands. She ushered him closer and Itachi obeyed the woman’s motions. 

“I’m trying to add some color to these gardens. I’m thinking rugosas….” She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, rubbing some dirt across her cheek. Itachi quietly waited for her to continue speaking as she pulled a difficult weed away from the dirt. She made a sound of annoyance low in her throat and turned to look at Itachi with an appraising eye. "You're too skinny Itachi-kun." She mused. "I’m hoping you’re at least eating." The smile she threw Itachi had his hunched shoulders relaxing. He smiled slightly at the woman before quickly returning to Sasuke's side. Sasuke was busy speaking to Juugo and Suigetsu and did not spare the Uchiha a glance. 

“Most of the interior seems in stable condition. I’m thinking a good cleaning should help a lot.” Juugo was explaining and Sasuke nodded, arms crossed over his chest as he glanced around the area.

“Good. Karin’s already claimed my aunt and uncle's house, but I have a few empty houses that will probably be comfortable.” He nodded down the street to the home in question and Juugo nodded. Itachi tried to wrack his brain on which cousin that was. Sasuke began walking again and Itachi followed, pointedly avoiding looking around the houses, afraid that their ghosts would be watching him. Once inside their parent's house, he was grabbed by the shoulders and shoved against the nearest wall.

"What did Danzō say to you?" Sasuke demanded, his fingers digging into Itachi’s cheeks. The younger boy regarded him warily, mouth already aching. Sasuke released his grip just enough for Itachi to respond.

"Nothing that you didn't already tell me." He admitted and Sasuke scoffed in disbelief. Itachi was good at playing innocent. Always had been. But he was not so easily fooled anymore. At the moment he had the upper hand over Itachi and he planned on using it to his advantage.

"Your innocent act might have some fooled **_Itachi_** , but I know better. I've seen first hand what you're capable of. I might not be killing you today or tomorrow but I promised you earlier that you would still suffer. I’ve heard of Danzōs’ reputation. His little _cult_. I can allow him to do some creative things to you. Or I can offer you this slim chance of mercy. It's up to you. Be honest with me." Sasuke's voice was pleasant, but his expression was dark, his eyes activated. Itachi tilted his chin defiantly. He was already doomed by what he had done. It still felt wrong to tell Sasuke about the clan’s private talks. As if telling him a secret he shouldn’t be sharing.

“You say you know me, Otouto,” Itachi murmured, chin tilting up in defiance. “Obviously you have no idea who I am. I think I know you a bit better than that. You’d never let Danzō have me because it takes away your own fun." He snapped back, hurt and angry over everything that had occured. This boy who wore his brother's face would never be his Sasuke. Just as Itachi would never be this boy's Itachi. He did not know why he had killed them. But he would find out. Even if Sasuke tried to stop him. The smile Sasuke offered Itachi chilled him to the core. That smile he saw in his nightmares. Those eyes, red and cruel. This was not his otouto. Itachi had destroyed him. He would face his punishment for that sin.

“Fine.” Sasuke replied, fingers squeezing Itachi’s face without care. “Have it your way then.” He wrenched Itachi to the ground and stepped around him, leaving him on the floor as he retreated. The bruised jaw Itachi was left with was barely noticeable. Instead he was left with that empty feeling he had been acquainted with since he awoke to the man in the mask. The man in the mask had been in his thoughts since he had last seen him. The man behind the mask was the man with the answers.

Itachi's sleep was plagued by Shisui. He saw Shisui and himself, in the woods speaking in hushed voices. He could hear his family arguing and Shisui was so pale. There was blood, but for the life of him Itachi could not find the source... Danzō was smiling at him and ushering him into his office...Shisui was back again. He was scared and hurt. Something was wrong. His dreams were fractured. Sasuke was running to him and Shisui. The little boy was bickering with Shisui saying Itachi was stronger...Shisui and Itachi had shared a grin.

_"Fugaku...the only way..."_

_"…You're my best friend and the only one I can count on… Protect the village… and the Uchiha name."_

_“...If you’re my friend."_

There was blood everywhere. 

Itachi awoke suddenly, chest heaving; He scampered back against the wall, knees pulling up to his chest. He buried his face into his pillow to muffle the noise. How could he have done this? How could he have betrayed them? Why was he so weak? Outside his room sat a crow, perched on the window ledge. It cawed softly before taking flight, one eye glowing crimson in the night sky.

When Itachi awoke the next morning he did not recall his dream at all. Later when he was outside avoiding Sasuke, something his mother had said to him flashed through his memory, it had not crossed his mind that yesterday he had not remembered her words or that Danzō had called him into his office. It did not seem important that he recognized something that yesterday was foreign.

Later that week, Danzō called to meet with Itachi and Sasuke delivered him without a glance back. Danzō had smiled at the Uchiha in a way Itachi was not familiar with. He was almost...satisfied, pleased perhaps. What had him so happy? Why couldn’t he remember?

Itachi had earlier approached Sasuke about their family. Sasuke had been leaving to find Naruto when Itachi stopped him at the door. "Sasuke!" He called out and without turning Sasuke answered.

"What?" Itachi hesitated, hand pressed against the wall for support as he tried to push the words past his lips.

"Mother and father and...and everyone else...could I...could I visit their resting place?" Itachi asked, feeling like if he did not ask now he never would. Slowly Sasuke turned to face his brother.

"Excuse me?" His voice seemed to echo in the empty room. Itachi fought the urge to look down at his feet, the words forcing past his lips.

"Their graves...please I want to see them." He shouldn’t have asked. He should have let Sasuke go and not bothered to ask. He had made things worse. He didn’t have any right to ask to see them.

"You do not deserve to lay eyes on them." Sasuke replied softly and Itachi nodded in agreement, finally looking down at his feet like a scolded dog.

"I know but-"

"You will not go to them." Sasuke spoke up sharply and Itachi stepped forward, backing straightening. 

"Sasuke-" Sasuke’s hand darted forward, twisting into Itachi’s hair and dragging him closer. His feet were suddenly barely touching the ground and he could feel Sasuke’s anger radiating from him.

"You have _no_ right." He hissed in his ear, roughly shoving him away. Itachi regained his footing, groping at the wall behind him for support.

“Please, I have to see-"

It was the wrong thing to say. Sasuke would not hear another word. Sasuke was upon his brother lifting him bodily off the floor and rage coursed through his chest. How dare he. How _dare_ he! This murderer believed he had any right to look upon them!? He heard Itachi let out a pained gasp and he reveled in it. He was doing this for them! Should it please him this much to physically overpower someone so much smaller? Wasn't this what psychopaths did? Torture the smaller and weaker for sheer pleasure? Wasn’t this what Itachi had done? But Itachi wasn't weaker. He might be small but even now this monster could out power him. He dragged Itachi down the hall, heart hammering in his chest. He could feel Itachi struggling to keep up, his feet uselessly moving against the floor.

He flicked the lights on in the bathroom, dragging Itachi to the tub and hauling him over the side. Itachi seemed startled, confused on what Sasuke was doing. Sasuke was on autopilot. He turned the tub control on, cold water pouring from the faucet as he dragged Itachi under it, forcing his face under the cold water. He watched him sputter for a moment, gasping and jerking his head away from the faucet. With the hand not holding Itachi under the water, he reached for the bar of soap sitting on the edge of the tub. He remembered how mother had washed his mouth with soap once when he had used a curse word. It seemed fitting that Itachi also received that punishment. 

He grasped at Itachi’s face, pulling his head from the water as Itachi blinked rapidly. His fingers squeezed against Itachi’s cheeks, forcing his mouth open despite Itachi attempting to pull away.

“Stop fucking moving!” Sasuke snarled, smacking the back of Itachi’s head against the bottom of the tub, he shoved the bar of soap past Itachi’s lips, palm moving to make sure Itachi couldn’t or wouldn’t spit it back up. Itachi kicked his legs in shock, fingers digging into Sasuke’s forearms. He gagged as Sasuke forced the bar in deeper, choking against it. Sasuke pushed his head back under the water, keeping him there as Itachi struggled, choking and attempting to get away from the water pounding against his face.

“Do you really feel as if you have any right to see them?” Sasuke drawled, watching Itachi sputter, unable to answer him. “You have _no_ right to go there! I won’t have you polluting their resting place.” He jerked Itachi’s head up, watching his forehead smack off the edge of the faucet. His eyes clenched shut, gagging and unable to do anything about it.

Sasuke kept him there for a long while, arms drenched in water as he watched his brother. Itachi’s hair had come out of its ponytail and was not splayed around the bottom of the tub like an ink spill, he was digging his fingernails into Sasuke’s arms, legs uselessly attempting to gain purchase in the tub that was now a quarter full of water. There were bubbles pouring down his face and even from his nose as he choked and sputtered. Finally Sasuke pulled Itachi from under the faucet and reached into his mouth, half wondering if Itachi would bite down on his fingers. He dragged the bar of soap from Itachi’s mouth and pulled away just as Itachi turned and promptly vomited soapy water in the tub.

Sasuke stood, wiping his wet hands down his pants as he watched Itachi vomit again. The water was slowly draining back out of the tub, the drain making that awful noise as it sucked the soapy water in. Itachi was trembling, coughing as he attempted to regain control of his breathing. There was a slight gash on his forehead, a bit of blood mixing with the water. His chin was covered in soapy vomit, his hair drenched in it. His shoulders were sagging and he looked exhausted, coughing weakly. His bloodshot eyes slowly lifted to peer up at his brother, soap rolling down his chin.

Sasuke looked on in disgust. “Clean yourself up.” He ordered and looked around the bathroom. “And make sure it’s spotless in here before you leave.” He turned and walked out of the bathroom, flicking the lights off for extra measure. 

It was late when Itachi moved again. He spent hours sitting in his room and waiting for his chance. He had taken forever to gain the nerve to leave the bathroom, still coughing up bubbles hours later. He wasn’t sure how long he had sat in that tub, trembling and trying desperately not to break down. He had trouble standing, legs shaking with the efforr as he navigated the dark bathroom, groping for the light.

He had hid himself away afterwards, not coming out to eat. He didn’t have much of an appetite anyway. His throat hurt as well as his chest and stomach. It felt like there was still water in his lungs. He couldn’t recall a time where he had felt fear quite like that. Feeling helpless and unable to breathe. It left him feeling weak. Sasuke did not seek him out again for the rest of the day.

Once he was sure Sasuke was asleep, Itachi slipped outside. He walked barefoot towards the lake’s edge and dipped his toes into the cold water. It was a chilly night and he was not dressed for it. Yet here he stood, staring at the water. His uneasiness persisted. He needed to see them. He wandered that night, only grabbing a cloak from his room and sneaking back out.He walked to where he knew the Uchiha monument lay. Despite Sasuke's warnings and actions, he could not stay away. He needed to see them. He approached slowly, as if expecting to be struck down. The large slab of stone listed everyone killed and Itachi forced himself to read each and every name, etching them in memory. He needed to remember them. He deserved to know how many lives he had stolen. He fell to his knees before the monument, arms limp at his side as he stared at it. He felt as if they were all staring at him. They were demanding to know why he did it. He demanded the same. His eyes rested on his mother's name. His father's.

Shisui's...Shisui’s name would never be there. Sasuke had said that due to it never being explicitly proven Itachi had killed him, Shisui’s death was listed as suicide. He would never be on the monument. Overhead the sky was clear and beautiful. He did not move from his spot. He tried to remember. He really did. Instead, all his thoughts were muddled.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to their grave. His voice was hoarse, still hurting from his and Sasuke’s confrontation. "I'm so sorry. It would never be worth it. No power could be worth this." He buried his face in his arms, fighting back tears. He did not look up or react to the presence behind him. He needed to be with them in the only way he could now. For in death he would never be reunited with them. This was his only chance. A chance he did not deserve. The blood staining his hands were too great. Kakashi stood several feet away, arms crossed allowing the boy to mourn. When Pakkun questioned alerting Sasuke, the Copy nin shook his head.

"He's not hurting anyone here." He replied without looking away from the Uchiha’s hunched form. Pakkun huffed but did not argue. Pakkun cocked his head at the boy who had not moved an inch. 

"How do you think Sasuke would react to Itachi being here?" Pakkun questioned.

"He'd break more than Itachi's wrists." Kakashi replied without any doubt. It felt dangerous to leave Itachi in Sasuke’s hands, but they didn't have many options. Very few could ever know. Pakkun inspectee his paw, looking troubled.

"You think he means it? Itachi I mean?" He cocked his head to the boy. Slowly, Kakashi uncrossed his arms, looking very tired.

"I think there are pieces to this puzzle I am missing." He replied, eyes hollow. Pakkun did not speak again and Kakashi did not look away from the Uchiha. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Danzō stared at the night sky in silence. Behind him sat his council deep in discussion. "What if he remembers?" Koharu whispered, hands folded in her lap, pipe sticking from her troubled mouth. "He will surely tell someone!"

"This has gotten far too dangerous. He could be a liability" Homura agreed. “What say you Danzō...Danzō?” He ignored their babbling. 

Danzō allowed them to argue among themselves, a sneer slowly curling his lips as he thought of Itachi. The boy had played directly into his hands. He had sensed Sasuke's hatred for him. The hot headed Uchiha would not defend his murderer brother. He would look the other way as long as Itachi was not killed. Oh the possibilities… a new soldier to be molded as Danzō saw fit.

In his hand, Danzō held a marble figurine. He stroked his thumb over the smooth surface as he watched a cloud overhead. With Itachi as a child, the truth would never be known. He could kill Sasuke and make Itachi disappear for good. The opportunity was golden...

But for now Danzō was content to let everything play out as it was. He stroked his thumb once more over the figure before looking at it. He smiled slowly, his bandaged face lit up in glee. Nestled in his palm, lay a miniature crow. It stared at him, wings tucked against itself. Wings that needed to be clipped.

Danzō chuckled.

  
  



	5. Memory

Itachi’s dreams were getting clearer. What started off as faint darkened echoes that he barely recalled upon waking had slowly begun to morph and take shape. Dreams that quickly became actual memories. He would wake up as if shocked, heart hammering in his chest as he stared up at the ceiling, desperately attempting to regain control of his breathing.

_There was a chill in the air. It left breath visible as the wind whisked it away. The seasons were slowly cooling down. Itachi was not one who normally enjoyed the chill, but today he felt as if he could not get any hotter. His cheeks, his stomach and his whole body felt like he had just run nonstop from Suna and back. It wasn’t often that he got flustered like this, if ever. Shinko had that effect with her rather merciless teasing. Her words were still ringing in his ears._

_‘A little puppy crush never hurt anyone, Itachi.’ She had idly commented as she sipped her tea, her dark eyes fixed on her former teammate._

_‘Having a crush on my former seems a bit much.’ Itachi admitted, staring down at his own cup as if finding it vastly fascinating. It wasn’t like it was anything lewd. He was much too enamored with Shisui anyway. “I like Shisui anyway.”_

_“You’re human, Itachi. You can be attracted to more than one person at a time. I mean I had a crush on two different girls at this teahouse at one point.” Shinko pointed out, resting her chin in her palm and she observed Itachi. “You’re just as hopelessly gay as I am. What a pair we make.” Her smile was a little wistful and Itachi knew she was also thinking about Tenma. Itachi managed an uncertain smile, still not used to being out so casually with someone not in his clan._

_“I guess we are.” He agreed. It probably would not have been so terrible if Kakashi hadn’t chosen that moment to walk into the cafe, his visible dark eye sparkling good naturedly at Itachi until the Uchiha’s face had gone through various phases of the rainbow. There was a knowing look in Kakashi’s eye and there was no doubt he had overheard the conversation. Hours later, Itachi was still feeling like the world ought to swallow him and be done with his abject misery. He had undoubtedly ruined their professional relationship._

_He had decided to walk his shame off in the woods and was soon found by his cousin who looked far too amused for Itachi’s liking. He had no doubt been informed by Shinko what had occurred and had tracked Itachi down, loudly bemoaning the dramatics of the Uchiha as if he did not wear their fan on his shirt._ _Shisui stood on a tree branch just below Itachi, leaning against the bark with his arms crossed and face turned up towards Itachi._

_"You know, I doubt hiding out here is going to change much." The older boy teased, tossing an acorn up towards where Itachi sat. Itachi watched him from the branch up, legs crossed. He held out his hand, and Shisui took the invitation to leap onto the same branch and sit next to him. "The toils of first love run deep." He huffed, shaking his head. Itachi offered his cousin a small smile, head back against the tree, gaze returning upward._

_“You know very well that you’re my first love.” Itachi chided with no sense of shame or shyness. It was different with Shisui. Everything was different with him. Shisui offered him a little smile and reached out for his hand, giving it a little squeeze._

_“I know.” He replied softly. “And honestly it’s perfectly normal to have crushes. I mean I had one on my former sensei when I was younger.” He admitted easily. “It’s human.” He inspected his nails. “Although I must comment on your weird taste in men. Hatake’s sort of...bland.”_

_“I should still not have said anything. It was incredibly unprofessional.” Itachi replied, still not over it. Shisui slumped over on the limb with a weary sigh. They sat in silence for several minutes, Shisui watching a fly travel up the tree with detached interest. It was rare when they were able to spend time like this together with no missions or clan obligations and it was a nice change of pace. Seeing Itachi act his age was refreshing. It was proof that he was still himself, not just what the village and clan wanted him to be._

_When they heard footsteps approaching, the pair peered over the edge to the forest floor below. “It’s Hatake.” Shisui announced, looking to Itachi who sat idly, looking much to calm for how wound up he had been earlier. “Why is he out here?” He looked to his cousin who merely shrugged._

_Kakashi Hakate appeared at the canopy below. The Copy nin was walking with one hand in his pocket the other holding a bag. The two boys waited in hushed silence. They didn’t doubt that he knew they were near. He couldn’t call himself a shinobi if he wasn’t paying attention to every detail._

_"Yo, Itachi I know you're here somewhere!" Kakashi called out and Itachi fought down a nervous twitch. "I have these...dango things and you know I don't eat this sweet stuff...but I suppose you're not around..." He pulled out a dango and held it high in the air, like some tempting offering. From his branch, Shisui snorted in amusement._

_He glanced over to see if he could catch Itachi's attention, but realized with a start that he was no longer there. Shisui scrambled to look over the branch and stared down below as Itachi leaped down from branch to branch until he reached the ground. Kakashi smiled and held out the dango to Itachi who took it with a nod of his head and a thank you. Shisui rolled his eyes. All it took was some treat and Itachi was there. He really needed to work on his negotiation skills._

_He had been here for nearly thirty minutes trying to convince Itachi that the world wasn’t over just because Kakashi knew about his crush. His ass was sore now and Hatake had managed to bring Itachi back to earth with sweets...well that wasn’t a bad idea. Itachi and sweets went together well. Sighing in defeat, Shisui vanished into a smoke cloud, over the dramatics of Uchiha Itachi for the day. Down below, Itachi offered Kakashi a respectful bow that Kakashi waved off, his hands stuffed back into his pockets. He was relaxed, shoulders slumped and expression bland. It was rare to see him out of his ANBU regalia._

_“So about this afternoon…” He began and Itachi felt his face heat up in dismay._

_“I apologize for you having to hear that, Captain.” Itachi replied in a rush, eyes ahead and posture suddenly stiff. Kakashi tilted his head, studying the boy. “It was incredibly disrespectful and unprofessional.”_

_“I don’t want you to feel like I’m angry over it. You’re young...crushes happen.” Kakashi explained blandly, no doubt having had similar conversations before with dumb kids._

_“It’s frivolous...and childish. I should not have been speaking about it in a public space.” Itachi replied, studying his snack with what was supposed to be a somber expression but to Kakashi, Itachi scowling at a dango was just funny. He hid his mirth well, waving a dismissive hand._

_“Well...I have some free time. Come take a walk with me.” He nodded to the path leading back towards the village. Itachi looked up at him in uncertainty._

_“I don’t wish to impose.”_

_“I wouldn’t have offered if it was an imposition.” Kakashi explained patiently and Itachi slowly nodded, taking another bite from his dango and following Kakashi down the path. For several minutes they walked in relatively peaceful silence. They were still far enough from the village to not hear the bustle from the streets._

_They never spent time around each other like this. Usually they were so focused on the mission that they barely had time to actually speak to each other. Was this what it was like to make friends? Itachi had precious few. He knew he never really could consider Kakashi one, not with their ANBU standings, but he couldn’t help but enjoy his company. Kakashi sighed, stopping under a tree and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He rocked back on his heels as Itachi watched him._

_“You’re a good shinobi, Itachi and an even better person. You care about people.” Kakashi finally began and Itachi remained quiet, stunned by the unexpected praise. “I don’t want you to feel like you can’t speak to me when you need to.”_

_“Thank you, Taichou. I appreciate that.” Itachi’s voice sounded more level and confident than he actually felt. “You’ve always been a good Captain.” Kakashi almost seemed to smile at this. His dark eye remained fixed on Itachi for a long moment._

_"Thank you. That's high praise coming from you." He replied kindly. There was no attraction on his part. Itachi was just a child despite his skill and aptitude. This little crush Itachi had would die down given time. Kakashi would be lying if he claimed to never have been attracted to an older comrade before, not to mention his little crush he had for a fleeting moment on Minato-sensei. Itachi seemed to finally relax, no longer looking ready to bolt and Kakashi considered it a job well done. They continued walking, circling back on the path towards the village. As they parted ways, Kakashi called back to Itachi who turned._

_“See you around, Uchiha.” Kakashi offered Itachi a half hearted salute and Itachi smiled at him, looking suddenly like the child he was before masking his expression back into that perfect shield._

_“Thank you, Taicho.” He replied, the perfect shinobi hiding the child beneath the thinnest shield._

* * *

Itachi watched his brother as he packed for his first mission back with Team 7. Karin and Juugo stood nearby listening as the teen gave them instructions for the next few days. He pointedly ignored Itachi who had come to not expect anything different from his brother. It was odd. Having his brother suddenly at this age, going on missions while Itachi was to stay back. Suigetsu lounged by the window, arms crossed and barely seeming to listen. Sasuke closed his bag and threw it over his shoulder, finally looking towards Itachi. "If you so much as sneeze the wrong way I will make you wish you had never been born." He coldly stated. Itachi fought down a sarcastic remark and merely nodded in understanding. Karin frowned at Sasuke for his callousness, but stayed silent. Sasuke left without another word, nodding to Suigetsu as he passed.

Karin stared at the door in disappointment before glancing back to Itachi and offering him a smile. "If you want, we can go about and start on the gardens. Most of the area in the northern section is cleared out.” She offered and Itachi turned to her. He was surprised by how hard Karin tried to reach out. It was kind of her. He nodded in agreement, throat dry.

Sasuke found Naruto waiting for him outside the Uchiha district. The blonde boy beamed upon seeing him. He pushed off the wall and approached the older teen. "Glad you could make it, teme!" He greeted happily and Sasuke nudged his shoulder. He was relaxed, as if leaving the cloying shadow Itachi cast had allowed him to finally breathe. 

"Starting to regret it." He teased, before taking Naruto's headband and pulling it over his eyes.

"Oi!" Naruto scowled and pushed it back up, shooting the Uchiha a half hearted glare. He followed the teenager and they raced through Konoha. It was like some things never change. Sakura and Kakashi were waiting by the bridge, Sakura beaming upon seeing Sasuke and standing straighter. Kakashi looked tired. He regarded his team, taking in how much time had passed and how finally things seemed to be returning to normal. Team 7 was finally back together. He offered them a faint smile.

“I’m not going to bother with some weepy speech.” He stated, stuffing his hands in his pockets and leaning against the railing. “But I will admit it’s good to have the team back together again.” He observed the three shinobi. Sakura was smiling, hands clasped behind her back and Naruto was practically bouncing on his toes. Sasuke merely nodded, the shadow behind his eyes still there, but dimmed just a bit. “Looks like we’re ready to go, hm?” Kakashi inclined his head in the direction of the gates and Naruto offered him a thumbs up, grinning ear to ear. They headed out the village, Sakura gravitating towards Sasuke while Naruto tried to bother Kakashi.

“It’s good to have you back again, Sasuke.” She stated as she fell into step with him. Sasuke didn’t look at her, eyes forward. It felt like old times, before Orochimaru. Before that hatred had festered beyond repair. Now, even Sakura was there at his side.

“Yeah.” He murmured and heard the girl snort in response.

“Now don’t start with that crap again.” She warned and Sasuke turned to shoot her a confused look. Sakura was watching him with a calculating expression. Gone was that lovestruck look Sasuke had anticipated. Now there was something far sharper and composed. “You’re out friend Sasuke. We want to be there for you. So let us. Even if you don’t have anything you feel comfortable saying. Just let us be there.” She nodded ahead to where Naruto and Kakashi were walking. “Naruto never gave up on you. He always seemed to know...please don’t let him down.” She nudged Sasuke with her shoulder, adjusting her backpack to walk ahead of him. 

Sasuke stared after her, half surprised. Out of everyone in the village, she had changed the most and it suited her. That confidence, that power. Sakura Haruno was no longer that lovestruck little girl.

Back at the compound, Itachi sat on the porch outside the main house. He watched a crow fly back and forth, never landing. It seemed to be circling the house. He leaned his head against the railing when the high pitch buzzing began echoing in his ears. Drumming in his head and the edges of his vision flashed for a moment. For a moment he swore he could see Shisui and himself standing only feet away from where he sat, speaking in hushed whispers. Shisui reached to touch Itachi's shoulder but Itachi shook his head. Both their faces were shrouded in darkness. Then as quickly as the apparitions had appeared, they vanished, leaving Itachi stunned. He stared hard at where the scene had taken place but nothing more happened. He stood and stepped off the porch, eyes fixed on the spot they had been. Nothing more happened. As if they were never there. He looked up, the crow was now perched on the roof watching him. It cawed at him softly, head tilting. 

Itachi slowly sat down, crossing his legs and watching the crow. His fingers found a blade of grass and he twirled it around. The crow side hopped, inching closer. Itachi held out a hand to him and it studied him, as if considering before taking flight and disappearing over the rooftop. Itachi dropped his hand in disappointment and returned to fiddling with the grass. What exactly had he seen? A memory? It hadn’t been clear, rather shadowy and faint, like a reflection through thick fog. He did not notice the crow circle back and continue to study him, beady black eyes unblinking.

Team 7 returned three days later.

The mission had been easy compared to what they had been doing outside of being a team. Sasuke figured Tsunade only sent them out to allow Team 7 to have their first “ _reunion_ ” mission. It seemed to please Naruto and Sakura to no end. A reunion and life was to go on as normal. Now their biggest focus was on the remaining members of the Akatsuki. No doubt they had figured out about Itachi and were planning...something. Pakkun had kept an eye on the compound, but there were some places he could not see. Naruto was more than willing to help when needed, but with the Nine Tails being hunted, Naruto's safety was of utmost importance. Suigetsu, Juugo and Karin were all given places to work on their abilities. Karin shadowed Sakura and Suigestu and Juugo trained with Kiba. This often left Sasuke and Itachi alone at some points. The animosity between the two was almost choke worthy. Itachi tried his best to stay out of Sasuke's sight, but Sasuke was...Sasuke and often tried to goad the younger Uchiha...to see if the old Itachi was hidden in there somewhere.

It led him once more to watching Itachi and waiting. For what, he wasn't sure. He watched from the porch as Itachi sat in the grass, staring at the sky. He had been doing that for a while now. Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, eyes narrowed as he watched his brother. He had never realized how small Itachi actually was. He was much too thin, always had been. Sasuke had no doubt he was larger at Itachi's age. How someone as scrawny and pathetic as Itachi managed to take down the entire clan, Sasuke did not know.

Itachi looked over his shoulder at Sasuke who shot him a cold stare. They held that stare for a moment before Itachi tilted his head. "You look like father when you do that." Itachi noted. “You get the snake wrinkle between your eyebrows.” Sasuke's placid expression instantly turned livid and Itachi tensed as Sasuke pushed himself off the beam. Sasuke grabbed onto Itachi's collar and yanked him to his feet, not allowing him to gain his footing as he manhandled him. Itachi silently cursed himself for his stupidity. Sasuke gripped Itachi's thin arms roughly and shook him, fingers digging into his flesh. 

"Don't even start with that," He hissed, glaring at Itachi who stared back in tense silence. “You have a lot of fucking nerve.” It was an oddly vulnerable look. As if this actually upset him. Sasuke hated this. This pathetic streak of hope he felt when looking at Itachi. As if things could be fixed. As if Itachi could return to normal. This hope that he and Itachi could possibly start over. There was no starting over. Sasuke was not a child anymore.

"I’m sorry." Itachi muttered. “This is hard for me too. I’m not trying to upset you.” He attempted to defend himself and Sasuke scoffed.

“Yes, the ever innocent Itachi. You already showed what you really are. Don’t hide behind your lies. And don’t speak about my father.” He watched as Itachi seemed to deflate at this, one hand lifting to half heartedly push at Sasuke’s hand. 

“He was my father too.” Itachi argued in a quiet voice and Sasuke shook him again, his head seeming to snap like a rag doll. 

“You **lost** that fucking right!” He shoved Itachi back who managed to stay on his feet. “You lost that right when you gutted him!” His voice echoed in the quiet yard.

“He’s still my father.” Itachi’s eyes flashed crimson and Sasuke snarled at the sight, arm shooting forward. A seal appeared in his hand and he slammed it against Itachi's forehead with enough force to knock the boy back. Itachi coughed and Sasuke shoved himself off his brother watching Itachi fall to his knees, the seal having weakened him. He knelt in the grass for several moments, breathing unsteadily while Sasuke coldly stared at him.

"You were a god among Uchiha. Now you're less than nothing." He spat and turned on his heel, leaving the boy alone in the dirt. Itachi watched him go, gingerly touching his forehead. His skin burned, feeling like pin prick needles under his flesh.

Overhead, the crow circled.

Sasuke slammed the door to his room open and stalked inside. He kicked the dresser in frustration. It had not been his intention to attack Itachi. He had wanted to prove he was above him. Itachi goaded him on with such ease. Nothing had changed. He was still the one pulling the strings. He sat on the edge of his bed and buried his face in his hands. He breathed deeply through his nose, fingers digging into his scalp.

He felt pathetic. As if he would never regain control. Itachi had always been able to get that reaction out of him. Itachi was the only person who could get him to lose control like this. He was pathetic. 

Too emotional.

He should be better than this. Better than Itachi. Whatever would father think of him?

Over the next few nights Itachi would sneak from his room and make his way to the family memorial and spend time there. He would return before dawn and be back in bed without Sasuke being aware. Pakkun watched him during these times, allowing him privacy and watching. He went to his meetings with the council without complaint and when Sasuke would later demand to know what would happen he would tell him in a monotone voice. Sasuke avoided Itachi when he could, taking missions and making sure to be out with Naruto as long as he was able to.

Naruto of course was excited to have his friend back and was quick to keep the brooding teen occupied. Somehow, Sakura and Karin had started up a friendship and often went out to lunch with Ino. Both Juugo and Suigetsu had started making friends and this often left Itachi alone in the compound.Kakashi seemed to have taken pity on him Kakashi had pulled some strings with Tsunade and one morning while Itachi was watching Sasuke prepare to leave with his team, he felt the Copy nin’s chakra approach. 

He wasn’t alone.

Shinko was as friendly and enthusiastic as ever and had barely been in the door before she had brushed past the stunned occupants to throw her arms around Itachi’s narrow shoulders in a fierce hug. Itachi was too shocked to say anything, arms hesitantly moving to gingerly hug her back. She was taller, her face a little narrower and her hair cropped to her ears.

“The Godaime called me into her office and explained everything to me.” Shinko began in a rush, never looking away from Itachi as she spoke. “I think she wanted to allow you to have some familiarity and seeing how we used to be on a team together, she asked if I would want to see you. Of course I said yes. Of course, Himuka wants to see you as well, she practically was in tears when she found out you were here. Yuki-san hasn’t been notified yet, he’s been working with the Chunin proctor so he’s very busy.” She paid no attention to the other occupants of the room. Itachi could feel Sasuke’s eyes burning a hole into the back of his head.

Itachi managed to form a small smile, throat suddenly aching and eyes stinging. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed Shinko until she was standing in front of him. “It’s good to see you.” He finally managed in a weak voice and Shinko’s eyes instantly filled with tears as she yanked him back in for a hug.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> More tags to be added.


End file.
